Interlock device camera: what it records and why
An interlock device carries a camera to show that the person blowing into it is also the one at the wheel. Someone other than you could give the breath sample if no picture exists. That's why, per NHTSA, cameras are required by at least 22 states, based on a 2019 count. Your state's rules decide when photos happen, and those rules may also call for pictures at missed tests or other events.
What triggers the camera to take a photo
Your camera goes to work when your state wants it: at the start-up breath test, at any retest requested while you're driving, and whenever a test goes badly. A rolling retest is a breath sample the device asks for once the engine is already running.
Each state has its own rules. In Minnesota, photos are taken at start-ups, rolling retests and violations, letting Driver and Vehicle Services check who gave each breath test. In Arizona, the device takes a photo each time you give a breath sample, and the Motor Vehicle Division gets the results right away.
Vermont wants photos at every random retest, at the first rolling retest, at each start-up test and at any effort to defeat the device. Oregon asks for more: photos are required at the request for a sample, when you hand it over, and any time a violation or circumvention gets logged. The camera in Virginia must record the date, the time and a shot of the driver's seat, whether a sample is accepted, a retest is missed or the engine turns over.
Does the interlock camera record you on video?
According to interlock companies, their cameras snap photos during breath tests rather than record video of your drive. Per Intoxalock, the device takes no video and no random idle photos, while ALCOLOCK says its camera isn't recording you during your whole drive and only runs for breath samples.
What does the camera see?
A photo of the driver's seat is what Virginia's rule asks for. Vermont wants a wider view: the driver and the front passenger area must both appear in the picture.
A sharp photo is required in Oregon under all lighting conditions, even at night. In Tennessee, you must stay in view of the camera for every test, and photos must confirm any violations there.
Who gets the photos
MADD describes the route: your interlock provider gets the picture first and hands it to the state transportation department when the state needs it. Each photo is encrypted before your monitoring authority sees it, according to Intoxalock; that authority is the state office tracking your interlock results.
In New Hampshire, reports on violations and monitoring must include images backing every breath test or try.
Can the photos help me?
They can. Under Tennessee's rules, if the digital images show another person was driving when a violation happened, the blame isn't yours.
Covering the camera or unplugging it
Don't block the lens. Arizona counts three things as tampering: turning the camera off, pulling its plug, or putting something over the lens. The state sees all of them as an attempt to defeat the device. A photo is required in both Oregon and Vermont any time someone attempts to defeat the device.
Picking a provider in states where a camera is required
As you compare providers, ask if their device meets the camera rules in your state, and find out where it can be installed. Look at the cost too, and at how near their install shops are to where you live. Intoxalock, Smart Start and LifeSafer serve almost every state, while Monitech works only in North Carolina.
You can also call us or send the booking form, and a provider that serves your state sets up your appointment.