NEW STATE LAW REQUIRES DWI CONVICTS TO TAKE A BREATHALYZER TEST BEFORE DRIVING A CAR!

Drunken drivers won't breathe as easily starting Sunday.
The second part of a tough new state law takes effect, forcing anyone with a DWI conviction to get a device installed in their car that requires them to pass a breathalyzer test to start the engine.

"This is another measure to stop an epidemic in New York State - to stop drunk driving," said state Sen. Charles Fuschillo (R-L.I.), a sponsor of the law. "It takes away judicial discretion, and it requires a mandatory interlock."

The law was named after 11-year-old Leandra Rosado, who died last October when the car she was in flipped over on the West Side Highway. The car's driver, Carmen Huertas, pleaded guilty last week to drunken driving.

The first part of Leandra's Law took effect in December, making it a felony for anyone to drive drunk with a child younger than 15 in their car. In the first six months, there were 248 Leandra's Law arrests across New York State. Nine other states have laws requiring the breathalyzer devices to start the car, and many have shown declines in repeat offenses.

The breathalyzer, known as an interlock, costs drivers about $170 to $200 for installation and $80 a month for maintenance.

"It's a small price to pay to have their license back," said Don Prudente, the owner of DriveSafe Ignition Interlock of New York.

Under Leandra's Law, judges can decide whether a DWI convict must also have a camera installed to record each test and a GPS device.

After the breathalyzer tests the driver at the start of the ride, it monitors them while on the road.

Motorists who have a .025 blood alcohol content flunk, even though the legal threshold for drunken driving is .08 - because drivers with DWI convictions are not allowed a single drink before getting behind the wheel.

"It's so sensitive, it picks up what they did the night before," Prudente said. "It picks up their hangover."

The interlock records all the times a driver takes the test and their alcohol level. Each month's results are sent to the driver's probation officer. Failing the test could add to the time a driver has the interlock. A Daily News reporter who tried the device last week flunked immediately after one swill of beer. Five minutes later, he passed. When he finished a can of beer in 20 minutes and waited another five minutes, the reporter failed again, registering a .03.

Prudente has about 400 clients in Long Island with the devices. Leandra's Law will boost business, but he says that's not the point. "It's about stopping somebody from killing other people's kids," Prudente said. "It's about keeping the roads safe."