It is a question too many Saturday night partygoers answer with clouded judgment: ?Am I all right to drive??

Thankfully, with the help of new legislation, some repeat offenders will no longer be able to make the wrong decision. A bill introduced last week by Rep. Dean Kaufert, R-Neenah, would force those who have been twice convicted of a DUI to install an ignition interlock ? a Breathalyzer-like device that prevents the car from starting if it detects a blood alcohol level over 0.02.

Some may point to the possibility of defrauding the system, but no preventive measure is infallible. The fact that the ignition interlock will provide a roadblock to serial drunken drivers and possibly save lives is reason enough to support this proposal.

While detractors may contend the mandatory $65 per month fee to keep the device is a punitive measure against the driver, we disagree. The payment is meant to cover the cost of the device while forcing those responsible to foot the bill. Furthermore, this charge will only last for two years, as long as the driver makes an effort to reform his or her behavior.

Given the current state law, one might argue the bill in fact does not go far enough to curb drunken driving in the state of Wisconsin. As Mothers Against Drunk Driving state executive Kari Kinnard said in a Badger Herald news article, ?Although we continue to target repeat offenders, and rightly so, we certainly can?t ignore first-time offenders.?

This state is certainly more lax in its DUI laws than any other state in the union. Wisconsin is the only state that punishes first-time offenders with a ticket and possible license revocation rather than jail time or probation. This approach seems unacceptably lenient given its application in a state that treats beer less as a drink and more as a way of life. Certainly, our Legislature should join the rest of the nation and toughen up its laws.

Despite some operational concerns with the device itself, the bill is a major step in the right direction. Forcing repeat offenders to sober up before entering the car not only keeps them off the road, but serves as a constant reminder of the need for reform and rehabilitation.