Subsidies for drunks?

New Mexico now has a law requiring ignition interlocks on the cars of convicted drunk drivers. (An interlock is a device that uses a breathalizer to estimate the driver’s blood alcohol content and then shuts down the ignition if the driver flunks the test.)
These devices cost more than $500–not cheap. So here’s my prediction: Within the next 18 months a bill will be introduced in the state legislature to pay for interlocks for drunks who “can’t afford them.”
Does this sound absurd? Yes, but not unlikely.