The cost of an interlock to have clients placed with interlock vendors can be very expensive, especially the cost of service for repairs and for service. Also the cost of the interlock itself can be very expensive. And the way that the interlock vendor reports violations can affect the client’s experience with the interlock. For example, the number of reported violations can be affected by the vendor’s reporting practices.
An Evaluation Method for Assessing All Four Concerns and to Determine if a Provider and Their Devices Can Keep a Client in Compliance While Not Causing Too Much Waste and Trouble.
Reading the full cost structure, not the headline rate
Interlock pricing is mostly “unbundled” meaning the monthly lease charge for the interlock, and the data plan, is usually separate from any other costs. The other costs can be quite large and create unexpected expenses and even cause violations.
The line items that actually move the total
| Cost component | Typical billing trigger | What to check before recommending |
| Installation | One time, at fitting | Whether hybrid, push button start, or diesel vehicles carry a surcharge |
| Monthly lease | Recurring | Whether camera and GPS modules are included or added |
| Calibration or monitoring visit | Every 30 or 60 days per program terms | Whether the visit fee is bundled into the lease or charged at the counter |
| Lockout or violation reset | Event driven | Availability of remote codes versus a mandatory shop visit |
| Removal | End of term | Whether early removal or vehicle transfer triggers a penalty |
Be wary of the cheap lease rate, yes, it may seem like a great deal at first but upon closer inspection, the provider may be charging for each calibration and each reset at the counter. Ask for the total projected costs for your client and compare the different interlock providers over the whole period of monitoring as opposed to just the monthly rate.
Service network density is a compliance variable
Non-compliance due to missed calibration windows typically is caused by the client not being able to get to an authorized service center during working hours. Thus, issues of distance and of required appointment time (as opposed to simply being able to go there at a time of the client’s choice) affect a client’s ability to comply with terms and conditions of their monitoring and, consequently, affect their cost to monitor.
What to verify about the network
- Number of authorized centers within a reasonable drive of the client’s home or workplace
- Whether centers are company operated or subcontracted to independent shops with variable standards
- Average lead time for a routine calibration appointment, and whether walk ins are accepted
- Availability of Saturday or evening slots for clients on fixed shift schedules
- Mobile installation and service coverage, and any mileage charge attached to it
Regional providers typically have a better listing of service centers than their National counterparts, who may list a “center” in every state but in reality only have a single center for the entire country and then list it under various state “centers”. For clients living in the Inland Empire, a provider such as Low Cost Interlock Redlands is worth checking first because the full list of service centers is published openly on the website.
Device behavior and the false positive problem
In addition to the factors listed above for evaluation of interlock service providers, another major criterion to consider is the reliability of the hardware at the interlock. The device must take an accurate reading of the driver’s breath under a variety of temperatures, and must not fail and leave the driver stranded in a parking lot. There are several types of interlock sensors, including the fuel cell-based sensors, which are proven to work well. However, there are also several new types of interlock sensors, including some that are based on semiconductors. While these new types of sensors have several advantages over the older types, they can also give a false reading for a substance other than for beverage alcohol.
Features that reduce disputed events
In addition to the above features of anti-circumvention devices, also the retest window is important. The number of events, which need to be explained, on a congested road, will increase with an aggressive retest window.
What process would the vendor have for false positives? Would they have a documented process and would they be able to retrieve the firmware log for the interlock device quickly?
Reporting discipline and the compliance chain
While the rare faults with the interlock can cause problems, errors in translating the interlock data into reports for the monitoring authorities by far cause the most problems.
Questions that separate careful providers from careless ones
- How quickly are downloaded logs transmitted to the monitoring authority after each service visit
- Does the client receive a copy of the same report at the same time
- Who at the provider is authorized to correct a transmission error, and how long does correction take
- Are records retained for the full statutory period and available on request
- Is the device model currently certified in the relevant jurisdiction, with documentation on file
The approved models for interlock devices are certified for a certain amount of time. Lists of approved models are updated from time to time, and even approved models that are within their certified term can be removed from the list of approved models prior to the time of a client’s interlock device’s renewal.
Building a short list you can defend
Reliability and Affordability are not goals that compete with each other. The cheapest solution is the solution that keeps a client most compliant for the duration of the Monitoring Term and therefore will not increase the duration or cost of the Monitoring Term due to violations of the terms of Monitoring. In other words, the lowest cost solution is the most cost effective solution. Affordability and Reliability need to be given more weight in an evaluation than Lease Rate. To make an informed decision regarding a provider, written fee schedules for all services must be provided by the provider.
