I hate to be a "they do it better up North" guy, but New York State has "Leandra's Law", which led to "Aggravated DWI". It's now a Class E Felony in NY, which is a minimum 18 month license revocation, at least $1200 in fines, and up to four years in jail.
We need to have something like that here in NC.
What is "Leandra's Law"?
Leandra's Law was signed into law on November 18, 2009 in honor of Leandra Rosado. Leandra was an 11-year old killed while she rode in a vehicle with the intoxicated mother of one of her friends. In response to this tragedy, the NYS Legislature made several changes to the Vehicle and Traffic Law (VTL). The law strengthened the penalties against motorists who drink and drive, and requires that:
- A person sentenced for Driving While Intoxicated on or after August 15, 2010 have an ignition interlock device installed on any vehicle they own or operate, and
- the driver have an "ignition interlock" restriction added to their driver license.
See additional information about Leandra's Law at the NYS Governor's Traffic Safety Committee
Alcohol, Drugs and DWI page.
What are the different parts of Leandra's Law and what are the penalties for conviction?
Leandra's Law includes the following provisions:
"Aggravated DWI/Child in Vehicle." The law establishes this new Class E Felony. The law states that no person shall operate a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs while a child who is 15 years of age or younger is a passenger in the vehicle.
Ignition Interlock Requirement. A court must sentence a person convicted of either
Aggravated DWI/Child in Vehicle or
Aggravated DWI/Driving with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .18 or More to a period of probation or to a conditional discharge. The court must require the installation and use of an ignition interlock device in any motor vehicle owned or operated by a person convicted under this law. The ignition interlock device must remain in the vehicle for at least six months.