Font ResizeSANTA FE (AP) — The state Court of Appeals has ruled that people convicted of driving under the influence of prescription or illegal drugs must have an ignition interlock installed on their vehicles as required by New Mexico's drunken driving law.
The court overturned a decision by a Santa Fe district judge who determined last year the ignition interlock requirement was unconstitutional for someone whose impairment was caused by drugs rather than alcohol.
The devices can detect the presence of alcohol, but not drugs. Drivers must blow into the devices, which prevent a vehicle from starting or continuing to operate if someone has have been drinking and their blood-alcohol exceeds a certain amount.
The ruling came Wednesday in the case of a woman arrested in 2009 for driving under the influence of prescription drugs.
