Smart Start User Guide

Separating Drinking From Driving 1-800-880-3394

Contact Info 1

SSI-1000, 20/20 User

1) Contact the Main Hotline (1-800-880-3394) regarding:

• General Information about our interlock devices

• Scheduling the initial appointment/installation

• Service Center Locations (or visit

• Disputing a Violation Letter from the MVA (see Policies & Procedures)

• Towing Policy (see Policies & Procedures)

4) Contact the MVA (1-800-950-1MVA(1682) regarding:

• Information pertaining to log files

• Questions about violation letters (see policies & procedures)

•

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9) The day following your final service, the MVA will receive your final report. If you

completed the program, a successful completion letter will be mailed to the address

registered with the MVA. When you receive this, call your service center to schedule

Smart Start utilizes two ignition interlock devices, the SSI 1000 and the newer SSI

20/20. Both units require the user to take and pass a breath test before the

vehicle will start. If the breath alcohol sample submitted is at or above the preset

fail level, the vehicle will not start.

1. The unit is turned on by putting the ignition switch into the “on” position. The

unit will power up and the LED will display “BLOW”. In certain conditions, the

2. The proper way to test is to blow steadily into the mouthpiece for 2-3 seconds

and then, without interrupting the air flow, hum while saying the word “WHO” or

“EWW” for the remainder of the test. During a test, the LED will display TEST.

Keep blowing into the mouthpiece until the unit clicks and beeps three times

indicating that the test is complete.

failed test or a violation. Possible causes for an abort are blowing too hard (20/20 reads ABORT HARD), sucking air

through the mouthpiece, interrupting the flow of air between the blow & hum transition, not blowing hard enough or

long enough (20/20 reads ABORT EARLY), or not performing the voice tone properly (20/20 reads ABORT HUM).

Should this occur, wait for the unit to display TEST and try again

.

After you successfully complete a test, the unit will display either PASS, WARN, or FAIL/VIOL. If you blow a PASS or

a WARN you may operate your vehicle as normal. However, a WARN indicates that alcohol was detected and is

close to the .025 BAC limit.

Towing Policy

If your unit locks out or is not operating properly, we may ask you to tow your vehicle to the nearest Smart Start

location (call the 800 number for the closest location). If the problem is found to be with the device, we will credit your

account for the amount of the tow bill. You will be responsible for the tow bill if the problem is not unit-related.

You will then need to fax a copy of your tow/service bill to Smart Start of Maryland at 410-848-9530. Be sure that the

copy is legible and include your name, birth date, contact number, and the reason you are requesting a credit. Once

the information is reviewed and it is confirmed that there was a problem with the device, the money owed will be

If you are locked out due to violations or missed service appointment, you may call the 800 number to receive a

lockout code (charges apply). This code will give you 6 hours to bring your vehicle in for service, after which you will

have to have it towed at your expense. It is important to note that if your vehicle has not been in use for an extended

amount of time, the battery may be dead and therefore the vehicle must be towed to a shop at your expense. See

above for more information on our towing policy.

MVA Violation Letters

If you receive a warning letter from the MVA and are not sure of the nature of the specific violation or would like to

dispute a violation, please be prepared to fax:

by Smart Start and the appropriate information forwarded to the MVA. It is recommended that you follow up within 24

hours to make sure they received your fax. We can not guarantee that the MVA will overturn your specific violation,

even after the review process occurs.

**Please keep in mind, violations due to alcohol readings will likely not be overturned and can not be contested by

Smart Start. If you received a violation due to a food, we strongly recommend that in the future, you don’t eat 10

minutes prior to use and that you drink or rinse your mouth with water prior to every test. If you still want to challenge

a reading, you will need to forward this information directly to your MVA case manager.

Access to Data

The current procedure, determined by the MVA, is that they will generate a “Successful Completion” letter, which will

be mailed directly to you once you have fulfilled your requirements. You will then need to schedule a removal with

your local service center, making sure to bring your letter along. Once again, these policies are created by the MVA

and subject to change at any time. If you choose to have the interlock removed without approval from the MVA, you

will need to contact our 800 number.

**Return of Leased Equipment**

If your car is inoperable, your license has been suspended, etc. Whatever the circumstances, as stated in your

lease agreement, it is your responsibility to return the leased equipment or to arrange for the removal of the

interlock device. To avoid accruing leasing charges, it is recommended that you act as soon as possible

charges will apply.

1) What information is reported to the MVA by the Ignition Interlock Service Provider?

Typically, the provider prepares a report for the MVA each month that includes information about:

You the driver, your vehicle and other program information;

Any instances where you had a high blood alcohol concentration (BAC);

Any instances where you tried to start the vehicle without taking the test;

Any instances where you failed the rolling retest or refused to take it;

Any bypass of the device, which is if you tampered with or disconnected the device;

the program until you have had the ignition interlock device installed AND obtained the restricted driver's license.

When you are near the end of your required participation period, the MVA will send you a letter explaining what to do

next. Typically, you will need to take the MVA letter and your restricted license to any MVA branch office and apply

for an "unrestricted" license. Then, take the MVA letter to your Ignition Interlock Service Provider and have the

device removed. Until both of these actions are completed, be sure to carry the MVA letter with you when you drive.

3) Why has my required time in the Ignition Interlock program been extended?

Each time you have one or more infractions during a monitoring period, you will receive a letter of notification, and

your required time in the program will be extended by one month. If there is a fourth monitoring period containing an

infraction, you will be terminated from the program, and your original suspension or revocation will be imposed.

4) Will the Ignition Interlock unit drain the battery?

alternator output or dead cells in the vehicle battery. These symptoms are common in vehicles 5 years old and older.

In such a case, the vehicle would have battery problems with or without an interlock device. Just as tires on a car

wear out with use, so do batteries and alternators and they are considered standard maintenance items for proper

vehicle upkeep.

We encourage clients to start their vehicles on a regular basis so they maintain a charged battery. Keep in mind, the

court order states the unit should be installed in the vehicle most often used. If the car sits unused for extended

periods of time, it is an indicator that you may be driving another vehicle that is not equipped with interlock.

The device is designed to prevent the starting of a vehicle if a breath test is not passed. There is only one wire

interrupted for the installation of the ignition interlock device and it serves no other purpose than to send the signal to

the starter for the vehicle to start once the test is passed. If the individual fails a test while driving, it simply records a

violation; it does not

shut the vehicle down.

F.A.Q. CONTINUED

response is then converted to an alcohol equivalent reading. By careful design and catalyst selection, the fuel cell

chemistry can be geared to work only with a limited range of fuel substances. This is what gives the cell its high

specificity to alcohol. T Cells, Taguchi, or Semi-conductor sensors, consist of a small bead of metal oxide, which is

heated to a high temperature, and a voltage is applied to produce a small current. As a substance comes into

contact with the small bead (alcohol) it changes this current. This change is then converted into an alcohol reading.

8) Can I can start my vehicle without taking a test?

This can only be accomplished by a deliberate means of circumventing the device. This would be considered

tampering and would be recorded by the device as a start violation.

10) Isn’t taking the rolling retest while driving dangerous?

The rolling retest is programmed to ask for a test within 5 to 15 minutes after initial start up of the vehicle and then

randomly thereafter about every 45 minutes. Once the unit requests the test, the client has six (6) minutes to

respond. The test does not require eye contact with the device and the 6 minutes allows adequate time to pull over if

the client feels more comfortable doing so.

11) How accurate are the breath sample readings?

All interlock devices must be certified to meet NTHSA specifications for accuracy and dependability and often by

F.A.Q. CONTINUED

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT INFORMATION

For each month in which there is one or more violations, the participant’s required period of

remove any participant who is in violation of program requirements during more than three

Once you have completed your required term in the program, bring your vehicle to your Smart Start service