"Breathalizer " Ingnition Interface : Guilty Until Proven Innocent in New York

Proposed Ignition Interlock Bill Violates Civil Liberties and Imposes Enormous Expense on All New York Drivers, Says American Beverage Institute

WASHINGTON, March 3 -- Radical legislation proposed by New York Assemblyman Felix Ortiz (D-Brooklyn) would require every driver in New York to prove their sobriety by passing an alcohol breath test every time they start their car -- anyplace, anytime and regardless of whether they drink responsibly or at all. The costly measure to install such devices has been estimated to be at least $1,000 per automobile, an enormous fee for millions of New Yorkers who drive responsibly.

"This asinine bill would place Big Brother in the car of every driver in the state of New York," John Doyle, executive director of The American Beverage Institute, said. "Assemblyman Ortiz's anti-alcohol agenda is going to cost millions of dollars to implement and he is going to stick New York drivers with the bill. Meanwhile, the true core of the drunk driving problem today will go largely ignored."

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that the overwhelming majority of drunk driving fatalities today are caused by a very small population of alcohol abusers and repeat offenders. But Assemblyman Ortiz states that "Drinking and driving should not be a choice" and targets even responsible adults under his new law.

"Assemblyman Ortiz's galling legislation presumes that every New York mom driving her kids to soccer practice, every businessman driving to work, or every teenager driving to school may be guilty of drunk driving. Ortiz will force them to not only prove their innocence but pay for the test -- clearly a costly violation of civil liberties that should be an outrage to New Yorkers."

The American Beverage Institute, an association of restaurants committed to the responsible serving of adult beverages. To learn more visit: www.AmericanBeverageInstitute.com