Car Won't Start If You Drink: Will It Prevent Repeat Offenses?

[Anchor]

A system requiring the installation of anti-drunk driving devices that prevent a vehicle from starting if the driver has been drinking went into effect today (October 26). Drivers whose licenses were revoked for repeated drunk driving must install this device in their vehicles if they wish to drive again after their disqualification period ends.

Reporter Kim Gyu-ri looks into whether this can effectively reduce repeat drunk driving offenses.

[Reporter]

A passenger car driving the wrong way inside a tunnel crashes head-on into an oncoming van, and a vehicle suddenly swerves onto a sidewalk and plunges downward.

These are incidents caused by drivers with a history of drunk driving who got behind the wheel after drinking again.

Over the past decade, the repeat offense rate for drunk driving has hovered around 44 percent. Although the Yoon Chang-ho Act, which strengthened punishments for drunk driving, was implemented during this period, there has been no significant change.

To prevent recurring drunk driving, a system has officially taken effect to issue driver's licenses on the condition that an anti-drunk driving device is installed.

The target group reaches 8,000 people annually.

[Kang Soo-chul / Head of Traffic Safety Headquarters, Korea Road Traffic Authority: The target is those who have driven under the influence two or more times within the last five years. You must maintain it for the disqualification period—two years if it's two years, five years if it's five years—before getting a normal driver's license...]

Vehicles equipped with this device require the driver to blow into it and ensure no alcohol is detected before the engine can start.

If someone blows into the anti-drunk driving device after drinking, a warning sound and the word "fail" appear, and even if they try to start the engine, the vehicle does not budge.

However, there is little difference between the cost of installing the device and the fines for driving an unequipped vehicle.

[Kong Dae-sik / Anyang, Gyeonggi Province: If the fine is similar to the price of the machine, I think some people might just think, why bother installing it, as long as I don't get caught.]

There are also research findings indicating that the repeat offense rate rises again once the period for wearing or using the prevention device ends.

[Lee Hae-guk / Professor of Psychiatry, Catholic University of Korea: Because people who commit habitual drunk driving to the extent of needing this device have nearly a 90 percent or higher probability of having a disease called alcohol use disorder...]

Experts point out that for habitual drunk drivers, it is necessary to accompany the prevention device with a diagnosis of the degree of alcohol abuse along with specialized related treatment.

(Video Reporter: Kim Seung-tae | Video Editor: Seeun | Design: Lee Jong-jung, Yeji, Kang Yoon-jung)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.