Don’t you hate when you work hard and still can’t seem to get ahead? Like when you got a DUI in a Federal park – you knew you messed up and you’ve done everything you could to make up for it. But, your license is suspended and you can’t seem to move beyond the mistake. Fortunately, if you are a Virginia resident, you may be able to do just that – get ahead in the Commonwealth after a DUI. You just have to be willing to install a car breathalyzer or ignition interlock device.
Virginia updated its laws in 2015 to allow residents with a federal DUI to serve out their sentence through the Old Dominion requirements. With all of the federal parks in Virginia, not to mention the proximity to Washington, D.C., and other federal land, the odds of a federal DUI happening are pretty likely. The best part is that instead of having to wait out a license suspension or other punishments that will hold back your recovery, the ignition interlock requirement in Virginia may be your ticket back to your normal, sober-driving lifestyle.
Huzzah, Virginia!
The Commonwealth already has some of the strictest consequences for DUI in the U.S. Any drunk driving offender must install an ignition interlock device and be monitored through the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program (VASAP). Plus, there are court costs, substance abuse evaluation and treatment programs and other consequences to face. Since all of that means a person may not try to drink and drive in the future or be challenged with an even tougher road to recovery, Virginia has seen a reduction in repeat offenses… and Virginia wants to allow a federal DUI offender the same chance at rehabilitation.
When states and territories work together to help create safe roads, we all benefit. Virginia is extending a helping hand across the state line to ensure only the best outcome for all federal DUI offenders. They get to keep on driving, and we are all ensured of their sobriety on the road to recovery.