The Farr-Davis Driver Safety Act of 1986 made California the first state in the nation to pass legislation authorizing the use of ignition interlock devices as a condition of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) probation. The law also authorized the California Office of Traffic Safety to plan and administer a pilot program in four representative counties to test the effectiveness of the devices in reducing DUI recidivism, and to provide information on its implementation. This report describes the pilot program and presents evaluation findings. Section 1, Introduction, summarizes the requirements and provisions of the Driver Safety Act and identifies several research limitations that are inherent to the evaluation. Section 2, Background: Ignition Interlock and the DUI Problem, outlines the drinking driver problem in California, and the potential role of ignition interlock devices. Section 3, Implementing the Driver Safety Act: Standards and Certification, documents the tasks carried out by OTS and BAR to develop standards for interlock devices and to implement certification procedures. Included is a comparative description of devices currently certified in California. Section 4, Implementing the Driver Safety Act: Pilot Program Administration and Procedures, discusses the implementation of the pilot program, focusing on organizational responsibilities and procedures for communicating necessary information. Section 5, The Sentencing Decision, presents statistical information on the numbers and characteristics of offenders sentenced to interlock in each of the study jurisdiction. This section also discusses judicial perceptions of ignition interlock as a sentencing option, and judicial criteria for sentencing decisions. Section 6, Case Management, Monitoring and Removal, describes and assesses the procedures through which interlock cases are managed, and provides statistical data on case flow and equipment reliability and effectiveness. Section 7, Effects on DUI Reconvictions, presents and analyzes data concerning the degree to which ignition interlock reduces projected rates of DUI reconviction. Section 8 contains the Summary and Recommendations. (Author/publisher)
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