My Car Was Totaled. What About My Ignition Interlock?

As a licensed driver, the odds are that at some point, you will be involved in a car accident. Hopefully, your fender bender is just a minor inconvenience, but that isn’t always the case. If your car is totaled and you have a car breathalyzer (ignition interlock) requirement, you’re probably a little unsure of what you’re supposed to do once the dust settles. Fortunately, getting back on the road is easier than you may think.

If your car is totaled and you have an ignition interlock requirement, DO NOT drive another vehicle. Even though your vehicle isn’t drivable, that doesn’t mean you can hop into the driver’s seat of a new car, or a borrowed car without an interlock installed. Instead, you should do the following:

• Contact your probation officer or ignition interlock program supervisor and inform them of your accident and that your vehicle is totaled.
• Let your ignition interlock service provider know what happened, too.
• Follow the instructions from your probation officer/program supervisor if you intend to replace your vehicle.

When you have an ignition interlock and your car is totaled, you’ve got even more on your plate than just missing your old ride. You’ve got a responsibility to keep on driving a vehicle that only has an interlock installed. Even a short test drive without an ignition interlock will be considered a violation of your requirement with the state, and you could face further consequences or even be removed from the program entirely. Just make sure you let the appropriate people know of the status of your vehicle so that any accommodations can be made (if possible) and that you are in the clear if questioned about why you’re NOT driving your vehicle. After all of that, you should be able to brush off that dust and get back on the road to recovery you began when you first had your interlock installed.