This weekend, KTVK in Arizona reported on a growing controversy involving one of the nation’s biggest interlock companies, Smart Start.

Watch the story here:

Basically, Smart Start is accused of forcing drivers to keep interlocks installed on their cars for longer periods of time by deliberately delaying the process of reporting data on interlock usage to Arizona’s Motor Vehicle Division.  The reporting delay denies drivers the opportunity to challenge the results.

The story explains that drinking coffee, eating a donut, or even a piece of pizza before driving can generate a false positive from the interlock and cause the engine to lock. And as KTVK points out, with each unchallenged false positive “drivers could be penalized and forced to keep the ignition interlock device in their cars for up to another year. That’s an extra year per violation.” And keep in mind: every offender in Arizona is required to use an interlock. Maybe not the best idea.

Obviously, Smart Start stands to benefit from its customers keeping the interlock on for longer periods of time. But, if this accusation is true, Arizonans should be outraged.

Note: This isn’t the first time Smart Start has become embroiled in a scandal or engaged in questionable practices in the name of profit.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 7:03 pm and is filed under Interlock Facts, Smart Start. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.