Oh, but if it saves just one life, isn't it worth the cost. Whatever that cost might be!?
But seriously, I have many questions.
How will we ensure that this device cannot be defeated?
How will we prevent false-positives?
What happens if the law changes and there's a new BAC level?
What if you buy the car in Utah? And then sell it out of state?
How much will this add to the cost of a new car?
How long will manufacturers be required to provide spare parts for this device? Will the answer to question #1 mean that the aftermarket will be effectively shut out of the business of making replacements or parts for the device?
Will we need a second device to take a blood sample to check for opiates, cannabis, or other mind-altering substances?
The goal is certainly admirable. Every death is a tragedy to someone and as a society we should certainly be looking at ways to reduce the amount of tragedy in the world. But, frankly, there are things that are much worse than people dying and the thought that anything that saves lives is worth any cost is an absolute fallacy and a short trip to a dystopian near-future. Why not limit cars to a maximum speed of 25mph? Think of all the lives that will be saved!
Just like any problem in the legal system - and make no mistake, this is a criminal justice problem, not a car problem - we aren't going to actually solve anything by making more rules for everyone because there are people that don't follow the rules. This is just like the mess with trying to buy Sudafed or car insurance. People are buying Sudafed and making meth. So let's put everyone through a giant inconvenience and raise the cost of having sinus headaches because there are some people that will simply need to find a way around purchase limits to get their ingredients anyway. And let's raise the cost of car insurance by having the companies report when a policy is canceled so that the registration on the car is also canceled. That way, those people that want to just leave their toy car parked in the garage all winter can't simply turn their insurance on and off, but people who are going to drive without insurance will just drive with no registration anyway.
Let's actually address the problem here. Who's causing these deaths? It's the segment of our population that has had DUI convictions in the past for the most part. Let's crack down on that first and see if that works before we burden everyone with the punishment. How about your first DUI gets you an interlock device requirement for 2 years and 14 days locked up. And not just 7 weekends. Your second gets you mandatory jail time and an interlock for 5 years. Your third, a longer jail stint and revocation of your driver's license for 5 years with another 2 years of interlock. Your fourth, prison plus permanent revocation. And for anyone caught driving without a license, seize the car and you go to jail.
Stop punishing me because other people do bad stuff.