Sacramento, CA – Today, the Assembly Public Safety Committee passed AB 366, authored by Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine), to advance California’s fight against the drunk driving epidemic. The bill would establish the state’s first-ever statewide ignition interlock device (IID) program for all DUI offenders, a proven strategy to reduce repeat offenses and save lives.
In 2023 alone, IIDs prevented more than 30,500 attempts to drive under the influence in California. With drunk driving injuries and deaths at crisis levels, AB 366 offers a clear, effective, and preventative solution to keep impaired drivers off the road.
Assemblywoman Petrie-Norris was joined in committee by Senator Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera) and Colin Campbell, a national board member of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), who delivered emotional testimony about losing loved ones to impaired drivers.
“California is in the middle of a drunk driving epidemic. The good news is we can do something to make our roads safer. Our measure saves lives before the car even starts,” said Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, author of the bill. “Installing an ignition interlock device in the vehicles of all convicted drunk drivers will stop crashes before they can claim an innocent life. It's a common-sense, effective, and proven solution to a complex problem, and it's time we make it a priority for California.”
“People who drive drunk, it's not the very first time. They usually drive 80 times before they are caught. This isn’t someone having an “accident” or “making a simple mistake.” They've done it over and over and over. And we've got to do something,” said Sen. Bob Archuleta, co-author of AB 366 and grandfather to Samantha Alex Robles Huan, who was killed on Christmas Eve 2024 by a drunk driver.
“The woman who killed my kids had a prior DUI. Her license was revoked. Nothing was going to stop her from drinking and driving. Nothing except a law like AB 366. Why wasn’t there an interlock device on that woman’s car? That would have saved my children’s lives,” said Mothers Against Drunk Driving National Board Member Colin Campbell, a parent of Ruby and Hart.
"Ignition Interlock Devices (IID) are proven to save lives. In states that have implemented all-offender IID laws, drunk driving fatalities have dropped by 26%. This is a statistic that we can’t afford to ignore. In 2023 alone, IIDs prevented more than 30,500 attempts to drive drunk in California. These devices stop tragedies before they happen, keeping dangerous drivers off the road and saving lives. AB 366 is not just common sense, it’s a necessity. We thank the Public Safety Chair Nick Shultz for his commitment to our families to not only move this bill out of committee, but to make sure it gets to the Assembly Floor," Patricia Rillera, California State Executive Director, Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
"As a CA Highway Patrolman, I have witnessed the tragic consequences of DUI crashes on innocent victims and their families. It's a preventable and selfish crime. The CA Association of Highway Patrolmen continues to prioritize our support of this legislation because it will save lives. This issue is about actively preventing further tragedies and safeguarding our roads. Supporting AB 366 means we're taking a decisive step toward ensuring our streets are safer for everyone, making sure that impaired driving has no place in California." Jake Johnson, President of the California Association of Highway Patrolmen.
AB 366 now moves to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for further consideration.