When it comes to drunken driving incidents in the United States, the following statistics speak for themselves:

• Every 40 minutes in the U.S., intoxicated driving kills one person.
• In 2007, nearly 13,000 people were killed in crashes from alcohol-impaired driving.
• That same year, drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 grams per deciliter or higher in fatal crashes were eight times more likely to have a prior conviction for driving while impaired than drivers with no alcohol.

These numbers from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) offer a glimpse into the motivation behind state initiatives and programs designed to prevent drunk driving and make the roads safer.

One technology strategy gaining ground requires that citizens convicted of driving while intoxicated install in their cars a hand-held breathalyzer device, which prevents the car from starting if alcohol levels exceed a preset limit. Currently 47 states sanction the use of breath alcohol ignition interlock devices (BAIIDs). In January, New Jersey Acting Governor Steve Sweeney signed a new law requiring certain first, second and subsequent convicted drivers to install them.

"Ignition interlock devices represent one of our best tools in cutting down on the high rate of recidivism among DUI offenders," State Sen. Jim Whelan, D-Atlantic City, who sponsored the bill, said in a statement. "These systems have a proven track record of discouraging drivers who are drunk from getting behind the wheel."

Research shows that ignition interlocks, while installed, reduce re-arrests of offenders by between 50 and 90 percent based on 10 program evaluations. But of the 47 states that have adopted some form of the program, only seven states mandate the use of ignition interlocks for all offenders.

Other states mandate ignition interlock devices only for repeat offenders, or let judges, state administrators or the offenders themselves choose whether to apply a device. Despite the success stories, the fact that states can choose how to run their programs highlights another key statistic: With about 1.4 million DWI arrests made each year, national reports show only 146,000 ignition interlocks currently in use.

However, ignition interlock devices continue to attract support from public health experts such as the Task Force on Community Preventive Services, which has issued recommendations for their use, and advocacy groups.

"The court system is failing to protect the public," said Chuck Hurley, CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). "It's not that judges or prosecutors are evil, but the system is a catch- -and-release program. Interlock stops that. It's not about finding a good lawyer and getting off, but now if you drive drunk, you get a box on your car and it won't let you violate probation."

A Temporary Fix

But the interlock ignition device is a temporary fix, not an end-all, be-all prevention solution, said Randy Elder, scientific director for systematic reviews at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Community Guide Branch.

"There's almost no question that ignition interlocks work at reducing recidivism," he said. "But they're not a silver bullet. It does cost money to monitor them and it's an administrative burden."

Installation costs between $100 and $250. Monthly fees run between $65 and $90, according to reports distributed by NHTSA. But, Elder said, these figures pale in comparison to the potential money spent on property damage and medical costs following a collision.

Various companies make ignition interlock devices, but they must conform to strict NHTSA accuracy standards. Designed to prevent any kind of tampering, the devices require drivers to give breath samples periodically to prevent a friend or stranger from "substitute" blowing. Every so often, Elder said, drivers must take their cars to an interlock center for a checkup.

But the main problem, experts say, comes after the mandated sentence for offenders to use the interlock expires. Without the device, the