Drink Driving in Victoria: Alcohol Interlock Orders

Check out this FAQ to discover what an alcohol interlock is, when it might get fitted to your vehicle, and how to get it taken out. WHAT IS AN ALCOHOL INTERLOCK? An alcohol interlock is an electronic breath-testing gadget that is fitted into your vehicle, for example your car, truck or motorbike. When you need to drive, you must blow into the gadget, which measures and records the amount of alcohol on your breath. This procedure happens for every leg of your journey - every time you want to turn the ignition to get home, to work, to pick up the kids, to get lunch, and anywhere else you want to drive to. If you have been drinking alcohol, and the device finds in on your breath, your car won’t start. AN ALCOHOL INTERLOCK IS FITTED WHEN… An alcohol interlock may be fitted to your vehicle when you’re entitled to get your licence back (after losing it for drink driving), and the police office or VicRoads decides that you must have the device fitted to your vehicle for a particular amount of time. FITTING PROCEDURE AND COST If the court or VicRoads decides that you must have an alcohol interlock fitted to your vehicle, you will be issued with a Licence Eligibility Order - this means that you can apply to VicRoads for a licence, however that this licence will have a letter ‘I’ on it, meaning that your driving is subject to an ‘alcohol interlock condition’. To start with, go to VicRoads to get your drivers licence reissued (it will have the letter "I" on it). VicRoads will then give you a list of verified interlock suppliers who can fit the interlock device into your vehicle. Then, organise someone (other than yourself) to drive you and your vehicle to one of the approved interlock suppliers. Make sure that you call every relevant supplier to find the best price for you and your conditions. The supplier will fit the interlock into your vehicle, show you how to use it, and tell you when you need to bring your vehicle back to them for scheduled servicing of the device. You will need to pay the supplier for fitting the device into your vehicle, any fees (likely month-to-month rent), servicing the device, removal of the device, plus any other relevant administrative costs associated. The exact cost of this procedure will depend on your circumstances (like how long you have to have the device fitted), so make sure you call around for your best price first. You will also need to pay a monthly fee to the government, which covers the management of the alcohol interlock program, payable to VicRoads. WHEN AND HOW IS AN ALCOHOL INTERLOCK REMOVED? You will need to go to court to get the alcohol interlock removed from your vehicle. Six weeks before your interlock condition finishes, go to your nearest Magistrates’ Court to ask for a hearing in order to ask the Magistrate to make an alcohol interlock condition removal order. The court may then set a hearing date for after your interlock condition time ends. When your hearing date is set by the court, ask the driver education agency for an interview an a licence eligibility report. The licence eligibility report covers the duration that the interlock was fitted to your vehicle, as well as reports from the supplier of the interlock device as well as any servicing notes. The report will also tell when the alcohol interlock device found alcohol on your breath. You will also need to see the police (at least 28 days before your hearing date) to organise an interview with them. When you’re at court on your hearing date, the Magistrate will look at the evidence provided in all of the reports, evidence from the police (interview), as well as your current situation, including the amount of alcohol you drink, and whether you driving is a risk to safety (public and your own). If the court decides to grant your alcohol interlock condition removal order, ask for a copy of the court order and take it to a VicRoads customer service centre and ask for the interlock condition to be removed from your licence. Next, go back to the alcohol interlock supplier that fitted the device into your vehicle, and get the device removed! Make sure you bring the court order with you.

Criminal Lawyers Melbourne are criminal defence experts who can help you with drink driving matters, alcohol interlock orders, drug driving and more. We prepared this FAQ to help you, your family and friends understand what you may be going through. See http://criminal-lawyers.melbourne for more resources.

Michael Barden has been a corporate executive for more than 30 years and has leveraged her employee hiring and management experience into that of author, blogger, keynote speaker, career coach, and global career expert.