The 14th International Alcohol Interlock Symposium held in Washington, D.C. attracted more than 150 attendees representing 13 countries1 from six different continents. The North American presence was strong with more than 15 jurisdictions having representation at this event in the US capital, and approximately 25 participants in the Introductory Session for Newcomers. This participation is illustrative of the continued interest in the Symposium and growth in the field. In the two years since the 2012 Symposium in Helsinki http://www.tirf.ca/publications/PDF_publications/13th_Annual_Interlock_… the interlock field has grown and much progress has been achieved. Most notably, technological features of interlock devices have continued to advance, and the demand for these features is rapidly growing in the marketplace. More jurisdictions are moving to require cameras including European Union (EU) countries and several jurisdictions in North America, including New York, Minnesota, Washington, Hawaii, West Virginia, and Tennessee. In Australia, the state of Victoria will make cameras a mandatory component of its program which has expanded to include repeat, high-BAC, and also first offenders. There is also increasing interest in the use of facial recognition to streamline the process of sorting through photos to identify violators. Real-time monitoring and GPS tracking are other features that are generating interest. Recently, a number of tools have been released in the US to help guide and strengthen the implementation of interlock programs. Most notably, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released the new Model Specifications in May 2013 in conjunction with a set of program guidelines. As a consequence, there has been a strong emphasis in many jurisdictions in North America and in other countries to strengthen quality assurance processes. In EU countries, where interlocks are more frequently used in commercial programs, we are beginning to see increased vehicle connectivity of alcohol interlocks where they are being integrated in fleet telematics systems to facilitate alerts of failed tests with an SMS notification, and to provide GPS location information as well. In addition, complete data logs are submitted using Wi-Fi when the vehicle returns to the service centre. There is also increasing interest in Latin American countries with a focus on using alcohol interlocks as an effective tool to catch drinking drivers as opposed to using it as a proactive safety measure as is the case in the EU. This difference has important implications for the development of a technology that is more oriented towards effectiveness than user-convenience, and that also includes demand for real-time notification in the event of failed tests. The focus on implementation and operational practices has become a top priority in many jurisdictions around the world. In the US, TIRF has supplied training and technical assistance to more than 25 jurisdictions in the past few years and reviews of administrative rules to adopt stronger practices are increasing. The Association of Ignition Interlock Program Administrators (AIIPA) has played a leading role in developing usable tools and best practices documents to help support program staff. The application of alcohol interlocks in DWI Courts has been an important strategy to strengthen interlock delivery which has been supported by the National Center for DWI Courts (NCDC). We have witnessed US jurisdictions such as Missouri and Michigan expand the use of interlocks and camera features with the support of the NCDC while such cameras are being used on a discretionary basis in 21 DWI courts in Texas. The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) has an initiative underway to encourage stronger program implementation with a focus on administrative programs, and a new NHTSA report highlights common challenges associated with interlock programs, the consequences associated with them, and a variety of solutions. It is well-recognized that the continued pursuit of research is critical to advance the field. To this end, work is being done in the areas of risk assessment of impaired drivers, tailoring interlocks to manage offender risk, and identifying effective program features and optimal strategies to increase program participation. Important interlock program evaluations are underway in jurisdictions such as Nova Scotia, Minnesota, and Colorado. Some of these studies not only examine the effectiveness of the interlock program but also how interlocks can be combined with DWI courts to reduce recidivism. In addition to the results of a Finnish study released last year that reported significant reductions in recidivism, an evaluation of Michigan DWI Courts was recently released. Lastly, research about the behavioural patterns of interlocked offenders has further informed program administrators by identifying important implications for program management. Perhaps most importantly, there have been increased calls for legislation and action to expand interlock programs and better manage the heterogeneous impaired driving offender population. Earlier this year the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on alcohol interlocks that discusses what is known about the effectiveness of interlocks, and ways that NHTSA has assisted states with program implementation in an effort to further encourage increased usage of these devices. In British Columbia, ignition interlocks have been applied to low-BAC offenders, and similar legislation has been proposed in Victoria, Australia. Under the pending Victorian legislation, low-BAC offenders between .05 and .07 would be required to install an interlock for a minimum of six months beginning in 2015 or 2016. It is estimated that another 3,000-4,000 offenders would be included in the interlock program as a result. This legislation further includes recommendations for immediate impoundment of vehicles driven by offenders with a BAC in excess of .10, and expanded minimum licence cancellation periods. Finally, in the EU, two important research studies were released. The first study was carried out by a Dutch Consortium for the European Commission (EC) and the second study was undertaken by an Italian Consulting firm (TRT) for the European Parliament. The issue of cost is a major theme of both reports, although the EC report notes that innovation could be the key to mass adoption of the technology. In particular, if future devices were less intrusive and costs were reduced through economies of scale, or if it was possible to install interlocks on all new vehicles, the benefits for society would be substantial. The latter report goes further in recommending legislation to ensure the statutory use of interlocks with convicted drunk drivers in the next five years and this could be an important step to substantially reduce road deaths in the EU, in line with the 2020 target to reduce road deaths by half. In the US, new legislation is being pursued in Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Mississippi. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the Coalition of Ignition Interlock Manufacturers (CIIM) have continued their efforts in working with traffic safety partners and stakeholders to support the passage of first offender laws, and close loopholes that enable offenders to avoid program participation. At the same time, key stakeholders have worked cooperatively to encourage the use of incentive funding to support the passage of first offender laws and sensible strategies for repeat offenders. The culmination of these efforts has resulted in increases in program participation in countries around the world including more than 300,000 interlocks in the US, 30,000 in Canada, 100,000 in Europe, and 15,000 in Australia. In recognition of this progress and the growing interest in using interlocks within court and treatment contexts, the theme of this year’s Symposium was “Alcohol Interlocks: Managing Risk and Behaviour Change.” The focus of the event was on the use of interlocks to respond to varying levels of offender risk in a tailored fashion with the long-term goal of changing drinking and driving behaviour. The objective of the agenda was to broaden perceptions related to the purpose of interlock use through the identification of benefits associated with the integration of monitoring, assessment, and treatment components within interlock program frameworks. The agenda featured a broad range of speakers who shared their perspectives, experience, and expertise on a variety of topics. In the opening plenary session, NHTSA Deputy Administrator David Friedman emphasized the agency’s commitment to further reducing impaired driving fatalities and highlighted the initiatives and countermeasures that have proven effective over the years. Dr. Doug Marlowe from the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) stressed the need for quality risk assessment to target offender risks and needs in an effort to produce long-term behaviour change. Other panel sessions discussed the latest research and practice to inform strategies to manage interlock offenders as well as how to effectively use these devices within a court, supervision, and treatment context. Additional information about the potential for combining various alcohol monitoring technologies for offenders of different risk levels was provided. Plenary speaker Robert Maccarone from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services summarized the lessons learned from the offender monitoring market and provided insight into how these lessons can be applied to strengthen the delivery of interlocks. In addition, the development of connected and automated vehicles and the potential associated implications for impaired driving interventions in the future was a focus of discussion. Also of interest on this year’s agenda was the theme of future directions and how we can learn to strengthen interlock programs through the enhancement of laws, the development of partnerships, the implementation of technical standards, and program evaluation. MADD CEO Debbie Weir provided an overview of the organization’s past and present initiatives with respect to interlocks as well as future goals for the reduction of impaired driving in the US. She emphasized the importance of developing and maintaining partnerships among various stakeholder entities to improve collaboration and to pass strong DWI laws. A panel of technical experts spoke to several different aspects of the new NHTSA Model Specifications and shared their insights into testing and implementation issues to help inform state practice. Of particular interest was a discussion of data elements and data management considerations as they relate to privacy and security concerns. Lastly, the importance of program evaluation was shared as panelists provided examples of current interlock program evaluation initiatives, identified challenges they encountered, and discussed important components to include in any evaluation effort. Updates on progress at both the Federal level and internationally were included as a component of this year’s agenda. Representatives from NHTSA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discussed ongoing impaired driving research and initiatives, and provided thoughts on why interlock technology is an effective intervention at the Federal level. Speakers from the International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP) and MADD Canada identified opportunities for expanding the use of interlocks abroad in both developed nations and low and middle income countries (LMICs). Similarly, our closing plenary speaker, Jonathon Passmore from the World Health Organization (WHO) discussed the magnitude of road safety problems, particularly alcohol-impaired driving, in LMICs. He identified current practices in these nations and opportunities for prevention, notably in relation to the use of interlocks. His session established a call to action and the start of dialogue about how best to address impaired driving internationally as this truly is a global problem. Overall, the event produced insight into opportunities to learn from the past and look forward to the next decade in road safety. It will now be important to build upon existing program structures, to evaluate programs for effectiveness, and to tailor programs and technology to different offender profiles in order to achieve long-term behaviour change and reduce recidivism. There are also opportunities to reduce the occurrence of impaired driving in LMICs and stakeholders are encouraged to work collaboratively to develop solutions to reduce impaired driving fatalities in these nations. The symposium and these proceedings demonstrate the importance of building upon existing programs to improve interlock delivery and increase participation rates, tailoring programs and technology to different offender profiles, and evaluating strategies for effectiveness. (Author/publisher)
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