After being arrested for a suspected drunk driving offense in Florida you might have a lot of questions about how your life might be impacted if you are ultimately convicted of a criminal charge. In Florida as in many other states, people who have been convicted of driving under the influence offenses may be required to install and use an ignition interlock device. As you may know, this device retains a lock on your vehicle ignition until you pass a breath test that then allows you to start your car. However, this is not the only thing you need to know.
As explained by one IID manufacturer, Intoxalock, you will be required to take breath tests even while you are actively driving, not just before starting your engine. If these tests are not passed, your vehicle horn might honk and your lights flash until you stop your car and turn it off. These rolling retests happen at random times.
You should also know that alcoholic beverages are not the only things that can lead to a failed test. Some foods or other beverages as well as toothpastes or mouthwashes can also be detected as alcohol by an IID. If you are used to having food or coffee on the way to work in the morning, for example, you might have to give that up for a while.
If you would like to learn more about what it is like to use an ignition interlock device and how you may need to adjust some of your habits, please feel free to visit the drunk driving page of our Florida criminal defense website.