There’s no question drunk driving is a reckless act, but there comes a time when efforts to end it cross the line into unacceptable intrusions into our private lives.
A recent proposal before the New York state legislature, supported by Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD), comes to mind in this regard. The bill proposes that all new vehicles be equipped with built-in breathalyzers. Before starting your car, you would be required to blow into the breathalyzer. If the reading was over some pre-set limit (which presumably could be lowered at any time), the car wouldn’t start. You would also be forced to blow into the breathalyzer periodically while driving to insure you hadn’t been drinking while the vehicle is in operation
I have numerous objections to this idea:
- First, what happens if the breathalyzer malfunctions? You can’t start your car (perhaps in an emergency) and your stuck—perhaps until a MADD-certified technician comes to fix it.
- Second, being forced to take a breathalyzer test while driving could be dangerous. And if the vehicle’s engine shuts off because you fail or aren’t able to take the test (perhaps because you’re driving down a winding road), the result could be a serious accident.
- Third, clever mechanics would certainly find ways to override the breathalyzer. An instant black market would be created.
- Fourth, and most importantly, I object on civil liberties grounds. Under the U.S. Bill of Rights, we are innocent until proven guilty—not "drunk until proven innocent." Mandatory ignition locks to prevent drunk driving are yet another step down the road to presuming that government can punish people who have never been suspected, much less convicted, of any crime. If that’s not un-American, I don’t know what is!
