Philadelphia residents are probably aware that driving while intoxicated significantly increases the likelihood of a car accident. Yet stories of drunk driving still make headlines in cities across the nation on a regular basis.

It is often the case that drivers who are too intoxicated to operate their vehicles do not realize how impaired they are. By the time a drunk driver who believes they are minimally impaired gets behind the wheel of their car, it can be too late to stop a serious car accident from occurring.

This is why the auto club AAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are pushing to have devices that measure a person's blood-alcohol level installed in the cars of every individual convicted of drunk driving, even if it's a person's first offense. The device, which is called an alcohol-ignition interlock, disables a car's engine until the driver breathes into it and tests below the legal limit for intoxication.

Right now 17 states require people convicted of DUI to have an alcohol-ignition interlock device installed in their car. Pennsylvania is one of these states. Under the Pennsylvania Ignition Interlock Law, anyone convicted of two or more DUIs must have an ignition interlock system installed in every vehicle they own or operate. But AAA and the NTSB are looking to have ignition interlock laws mandated in all states for every drunk driving offense.

In the meantime, anyone who is injured in a drunk driving accident has the right to sue an at-fault party for damages in civil court. A personal injury lawyer can help a victim of an alcohol-related crash to claim compensation for medical expenses, damage to property, lost wages and pain and suffering. In the tragic event that a victim dies due to the conduct of a drunk driver, their family may claim the same damages in addition to funeral expenses and an award for loss of companionship.

Source: Los Angeles Times, "AAA joins call for ignition devices for first-time drunk drivers," Jerry Hirsch, Dec. 26, 2012