Speak Out: Should First-Time Drunken Drivers Have Ignition Locking Device?

Beginning in July, the Commonwealth of Virginia will enforce a new drunken-driving penalty that requires first-time offenders to install ignition devices in their cars that will test the their blood alcohol level before the cars will start.

The Washington Post has reported that the new requirement — the toughest in the region — will affect more than 18,000 people and has sparked a debate between groups fighting against drunk driving and people representing offenders.

The new law will affect people arrested for drunken-driving offenses, regardless of the level of their blood alcohol concentration. That means it affects people who are only slightly above the legal limit.

Speak Out: Should first-time drunken-driving offenders be required to use ignition devices? Or is the penalty too severe? Let us know in the comments section below.