When you choose to drink and drive, you aren’t really aware of what you’re about to get yourself into, much like when you’re facing a car breathalyzer or ignition interlock installation. If you’ve done your research, you know that there are excellent service providers for your interlock, and you may have seen various opinions, rumors and facts about the devices. Your state, however, may not have a clear definition of one of the more important aspect of your interlock requirement, like interlock violations and how they affect you.
There are plenty of reasons to stick with your interlock requirement in West Virginia, and one really big reason to not ever try to bypass your West Virginia Interlock: more criminal charges and penalties.
Leave it to West Virginia to have a clear policy for any ignition interlock violations. The state trusts the devices so much, there’s very little room for error for a DUI offender who is given the ability to prove they are able to drive without drinking.
When you attempt to bypass your West Virginia interlock, you’re looking at more trouble, like an additional misdemeanor charge. You could be ordered to serve up to six months in jail and have to pay $1,000 in fines. When you don’t bypass your interlock, you’re looking at a fast road back to your freedom to drive as you did before your drunk driving conviction. That’s pretty simple, and West Virginia likes it that way.
The clear path to getting past your DUI is to follow through with your commitment to driving sober. That means you don’t attempt to bypass your interlock, or tamper with it in any way. You only drive vehicles with an interlock installed, and if you have been drinking, you never try to drive yourself home.