Using technology to save lives makes sense

As always when we ring in the New Year, a trouble spot lurks in the prospect of drunk drivers on the roads.

This is not an overwrought seasonal concern. Some 28,000 Washington drivers convicted of drunk driving are not supposed to start their cars without first breathing into a device that detects whether they've had alcohol. But only about 4,400 convicted drivers actually comply with the legal mandate. State officials have no idea whether the nearly 24,000 remaining drivers aren't getting behind the wheel or are driving in violation of the law.

It is a safe bet thousands are flouting the law and driving.

This frightening prospect, recounted by Times reporter Peyton Whitely, illustrates how laws can leave loopholes large enough to drive through.

People convicted of driving under the influence are required to install ignition-interlock devices in their cars. Proof of installment is required to get suspended driver's licenses reinstated.

Only a fraction of convicted drunk drivers are following this law. There ought to be a way to compel the others and protect the public. The state Department of Licensing is required to monitor the activities of legal drivers.

The one safeguard is a weak one: a chance stop by law enforcement that would reveal a driver operating a car without a valid license. Absent such luck, drivers convicted of drunk driving face little resistance if they resume drinking and driving.

Washington started out ahead of the trend in adopting ignition-interlock laws. We've required them since 2004. But without strict measures to ensure compliance, the law puts up a feeble fight against drunk driving.

Remedies range from getting car manufacturers to include the device in all cars — expensive — to insurance companies offering a discount for drivers who use the device — unlikely. The best prospect lies with the state licensing department, which is convening a task force to tackle the problem of drivers who represent a threat to public safety.

Nothing is guaranteed to clear the road 100 percent of drunk drivers, but it is foolish to have a tool and not use it to its fullest potential.