There was another move at the state capitol today could save the lives of innocent drivers who are at risk of being killed by a drunk driver. The non-profit organization Mothers Against Drunk Driving has been trying for years to get an ignition interlock bill passed. Alabama is the only state without an interlock law but soon that may no longer be the case.
Glenda Richardson joined Mothers Against Drunk Driving after a drunk driver hit her family’s car head on her husband and two young sons were killed.
“I survived and people would say, you must have survived for a reason and if there was a reason for my survival it was to try to keep this from happening to other people,” said MADD Member Glenda Richardson.
The organization MADD works to educate people on the dangers of drinking and driving. Members also pursue legislation to strength drinking and driving laws. For the past several years she's been pushing a bill to require DUI offenders to have an ignition interlock on their car.
“A person who is convicted of drunk driving would have a device put on his car and he would breathe into it,” said Richardson.
If the device detects alcohol the car won't start. Senate Bill 276 and House Bill 361 have both just been introduced in the state legislature. These bills require all repeat drunk driving offenders and first time offenders with a blood alcohol level of .15 or greater to have the device installed in their car. State Senator Arthur Orr supports an interlock law.
“We've got some things we can do in Alabama to really crack down on DUI’s in the interlock device is one and mandatory jail time is for those who are driving while revoked,” said Senator Orr.
Chris Hall was on his way to work when a drunk driver swerved into his lane, hitting his car head on. This crash broke his neck paralyzing him from the neck down but this wasn't the first time the driver had done this.
“She had paralyzed a person driving drunk in Tennessee in the 1990s,” said Chris Hall.
Chris Hall believes if the ignition interlock law was in place maybe the crash never would have happened.
MADD members hope the bills pass and become law. According to Senator Orr other states that require repeat DUI offenders to use this device. Have seen a 30% decrease in drunk driving fatalities. Some MADD members also want punishment to be uniform from judge to judge and for DUI offenders to serve jail time.
