If you have been arrested and charged with operating while intoxicated in Wisconsin, you probably have several questions. You may be unsure of whether you will lose your driving privileges, be required to install a breath ignition interlock device (IID) on your vehicle, or face jail time for drunk driving. The answers to these questions depend on the circumstances of the offense, whether or not you avoid conviction, your past criminal history, and other factors.
What Is an IID?
An ignition interlock device is a device used to measure the amount of alcohol in someone’s breath. This information is then used to determine the person’s blood alcohol content (BAC). Once an IID is installed in a vehicle, the ignition will only engage after the driver submits a passing breath sample into the device. If the driver’s breath does not contain alcohol, the car will start normally. If the driver’s breath does contain alcohol, the vehicle will not start. There are many myths surrounding how to “cheat” an IID. However, IIDs are carefully calibrated, sophisticated devices that cannot be tricked. Using breath mints, eating certain foods, and other strategies for cheating an IID do not work.
...