An alcohol interlock is a device that controls whether a vehicle can start based on the result of a breath test of the driver. Under Korea's Road Traffic Act, a person who holds a driver's license conditional on an alcohol interlock may drive a vehicle in which the device has been installed and registered. Family members may be asked to help with the device before setting off, but helping with guidance and providing breath on the driver's behalf are entirely different things.
The key point is that the person who actually intends to drive must carry out the device procedure personally. Article 50-3(5) of the Road Traffic Act prohibits anyone from blowing into the device on behalf of a conditional license holder to start the vehicle, or from starting the vehicle by any other improper means. Telling family members about this scope of prohibition, together with the concrete help they can give when things get stuck, reduces confusion.
The scope of actions the law prohibits
This provision applies to "anyone," without distinguishing between family members, coworkers, or the vehicle owner. So the fact that a family member helped in good faith, or was in a hurry to set off, does not turn providing breath on behalf of the actual driver into permitted help.
The prohibited act does not mean only cases where someone else stands in front of the device. The provision covers both another person blowing into the device so that the conditional license holder can drive and starting a vehicle fitted with the device by any other improper means. In guidance for family members, it is important to use wording that does not leave the impression that "blowing for them" is one way of helping.
Draw a clear line between guidance and blowing on someone's behalf
Family members can find the manual, read the messages on the device screen together, and connect calls for installation or management inquiries. This is support that helps the actual driver understand what they need to do. By contrast, the moment a family member uses their own breath to take the test, the person who actually drives and the person who performed the test procedure are no longer the same.
This distinction needs to be explained first, especially when helping older people, people with disabilities, or people unfamiliar with the device. Reading the instructions aloud or organizing the details of an inquiry is possible, but family members cannot complete on the driver's behalf a procedure the driver must perform personally. If using the device remains difficult, it fits the intent of the provision better to leave the vehicle parked and look for a support channel than for a family member to try to solve it and make starting possible.
| Help family members can give | Actions family members must not take | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Find the manual and contact details | Blow into the device in place of the actual driver | Help the driver understand the procedure and do it personally |
| Read what the screen shows and take notes on the situation | Use other methods to make starting possible | Pass the displayed message and what happened to the installation or management contact |
| Arrange another means of transportation together | Suggest testing on the driver's behalf because of urgent circumstances | Leave the vehicle and change the travel plan |
As the table shows, the purpose of help is not to make starting possible on someone's behalf but to help the actual driver carry out the procedure personally, or to arrange an alternative that does not involve driving. There is no need to explain the provision so broadly that it seems to forbid even reading the screen aloud, but a clear line must be drawn at providing breath and at improper means of starting the vehicle.
Responding to an urgent request to set off
As a hypothetical example, consider a family member with a conditional license who, before a hospital visit, says the device is not working well and asks, "Just do it for me this once." The fact to observe here is that the actual driver is not completing the procedure personally. Helping start the vehicle with a family member's breath is not simple operating assistance; it may constitute blowing on someone's behalf as defined in Article 50-3(5).
A possible action is to decline the request, then write down what appeared on the screen and what was attempted and pass it on to the installation or management contact. If the trip is needed right away, another option is to arrange separate transportation, such as a taxi, public transportation, or a vehicle driven by someone else. The completion criterion here is not the family member starting the vehicle on the driver's behalf, but confirming that the actual driver can perform the procedure personally, or putting in place a travel plan that does not involve driving the vehicle.
Because "just this once" can easily come up within a family, you can also suggest setting a short principle in advance. For example, writing it as a sequence of actions such as "The person who will drive does the breath test personally. If there is a problem, note the screen and situation and ask for support. Until it is resolved, find another way to travel" keeps the decision simple even in an urgent situation.
Do not treat a device fault and difficulty in use as the same problem
The fact that a breath test does not proceed or a warning appears on the screen does not mean a family member can determine the cause. It may be a lack of understanding of how to use it, or it may be a situation where the device needs inspection or maintenance. Article 50-3(4) prohibits removing or tampering with the device or impairing its function except for inspection, maintenance, and similar cases, so you must not steer family members toward working on the device themselves either.
When making an inquiry, rather than concluding that "the device is broken," it is better to pass on when and in what situation the actual driver attempted to use it, and what the screen showed. This information helps the installation or management party decide whether usage guidance or an inspection is needed. The family's job is not to decide the cause of the problem on anyone's behalf but to pass on the necessary facts without leaving anything out.
Criteria for the sentences you give your family
Family guidance is easier to understand when it starts with sentences that clarify roles rather than words that stress punishment. Three sentences can form the basis: "The person who will drive must do the breath procedure personally," "Family members can help with explanations, contacts, and alternative travel," and "Do not provide breath on someone's behalf to make starting possible."
The driving conditions of a conditional license holder apply to that person. The fact that another family member has experience with the device or helped with the vehicle does not change the principle that the actual driver must perform it personally. In the end, the most practical help a family can give is not blowing on someone's behalf but helping the driver understand the procedure and, when it cannot be resolved, arranging a safe alternative together.
※ This article provides general information and is not legal advice for any specific case. Consult a lawyer or other professional about your specific situation. Laws may be amended, so check the latest version at the Korea Law Information Center.
