If you have a second or subsequent conviction for driving while impaired, you may have a legal obligation to install an ignition interlock device on your vehicle. While having an IID on your car, truck or SUV may be inconvenient, it may also allow you to drive certain places after losing your regular driving privileges.
After installing an IID on your vehicle, you must be certain to comply with all legal requirements. After all, violating any of them may result in additional consequences. Here are three common ways to breach IID obligations in the Lone Star State.
1. Using someone else’s breath sample
Before starting your vehicle, you must provide an alcohol-free breath sample. If you let a passenger or someone else breathe into the IID, you are not in compliance. Furthermore, trying to position a passenger to breathe into the device during your trip may be dangerous.
2. Driving a different vehicle
If you have an IID on your vehicle, you also have a restricted driver’s license. Accordingly, if officers stop you in an unequipped vehicle, they are likely to realize immediately you are in violation of your legal obligations under the state’s IID laws.
3. Tampering with the device
While IIDs are contained units, they are not tamper-proof. If you have some mechanical know-how, you may be able to figure out how to bypass or override the device. Doing either, of course, is a bad idea. Likewise, you should not remove the IID until you have legal permission to do so.
Because you do not have a right to drive in Texas, you must honor your IID obligations to avoid losing your driving privileges. The simplest strategy for staying in compliance is to read through court orders and IID instructions and follow them to the letter.