MADD Calls on New York Assembly to Advance DWI Reform
By MADD | June 12, 2012| 4 Comments | Filed in: Drunk Driving

MADD and the father behind Leandra’s Law, Lenny Rosado, are calling on the New York State Assembly to advance S 6636/A 9544, sponsored by Senator Charles Fuschillo and Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg. Passage of this important legislation would improve Leandra’s Law by increasing ignition interlock compliance rates.

Leandra’s Law was signed in 2009, making driving drunk with a child passenger a felony, and requiring ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers. However, due to loopholes in the state’s current drunk driving law, only one third of DWI offenders in New York have had an interlock installed since August 2010.

Throughout the U.S., 16 states (including New York) require ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ignition interlocks save lives and reduce drunk driving repeat offenses by 67 percent.

New York residents:  Contact your lawmakers today in support of strengthening Leandra’s Law.

For more information on MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving®, which includes requiring ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers, visit www.madd.org/campaign.

*UPDATED 6/13/2012*

Yesterday, the Assembly Transportation Committee failed to advance S 6636/A 9544, despite strong support from the full Assembly.

MADD implores New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to advance pending legislation to strengthen Leandra’s Law and save lives. The Speaker’s action is especially critical for victims like Lenny Rosado and for the citizens of New York who deserve to be protected from repeat drunk driving offenders. 

If you live in New York, please contact your lawmakers now.  It's quick and easy, and you can help save lives in New York.


   

Comments

Submitted by msf at 04:06 PM on November 4, 2012
Money making business? How many times do we havr to deal with someone getting killed when we have the technology in place to prevent this? I am not a liberal but if libs are the only ones behind supporting a prevention of families being ripped apart by drunk drivers then I'm with them. What a shame your monitored fsmily was. inconvenienced
Submitted by jumpin johnny at 12:21 PM on July 11, 2012
Forcing ignition interlock devices on people is ignorant and just another liberal law which has nothing to do with safety, it has to do with money. My daughter and her husband have one car and his interlock device has been installed for 6 months (he had a DUI 2 years back). Besides the 900 dollar installation my daughter who has never had any brush with the law has to use the thing to drive around. They left Sunday for Colorado from New York. The device has malfunctioned 3 times. Once in Iowa where they had to wait 3 hours for a certified technician, then after 4 hours of driving it malfunctioned again and no technician was available so they slept a long a 4 lane until the next day. After finally contacting someone it was another 3 hours before the technician could get there. They drove another 5 hours and it malfunctioned in Nebraska. They were told to have the vehicle towed and then have the mechanic contact the manufacturer for instructions on how to bypass the device. Who gets charged? this is rediculous. They should all be recalled until the technology is perfected.
Submitted by MANDATORY VEHICLE ALCOHOL MONITORS at 04:47 AM on June 29, 2012
Heal America states: TO FIGHT THIS WAR OF AMEICA'S ISSUES WITH ALCOHOLISM OUR GOVERNMENT SHOULD::: CREATE BETTER HOME ENVIRONMENTS,CREATE A BETTER SCHOOL SYSTEM,CREATE LONG TERM TREATMENTS CENTERS FOR ALCOHOLISM- THEREFORE CONSEQUENSES OF PRISON FOR IRRESPONSIBLE PEOPLE WHO DRIVE DRUNK WILL NOT BE NECESSARY..(HEAL AMERICA) I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU!!!DO ALL DRUNK DRIVERS COME FROM POOR HOME ENVIRONMENTS TOGETHER WITH INADEQUATE SCHOOLING SYTEMS? MANY VARIABLES ARE CAUSES FOR COMMITTING CRIMES..DRUNK DRIVERS ARE PERSONS WITH A LAW BREAKERS MENTALITY AND CHOOSE TO HAVE TOTAL DISREGARD FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS BY DRIVING DRUNK..A PRISON SENTENCE HAPPENS WHEN THERE IS A KILL OR SEVERE INJURY TO ANOTHER, OR ANOTHERS PROPERTY...REPEATED DRUNK DRIVERS HAVE MANY OPTIONS TO CHANGE THEIR WAYS THROUGH REDUCATION AND REHAB.PRISON WILL NOT END DRUNK DRIVING, BUT DID GOVERNMENT ENFORCMENT DURING THER ERA OF PROHABITION STOP ALCOHOL CUNSUMPTION BY AMERICANS? NO!!! VEHICLE ALCOHOL MONITORS MAY HELP SOMEWHAT FOR SOME, OTHERS WILL FIND A WAY AROUND THAT MONITORING SYSTEM AND WILL CONTINUE TO DRIVE DRUNK...I FEEL THAT ALCOHOL VEHICLE MONITORS SHOULD BE MANDATED AND BE PART OF A SENTENCE FOR TICKETED DRUNK DRIVERS...MY SON TOGETHER WITH A COWORKER WERE KILLED WHILE DRIVING ON THEIR WAY TO WORK.. AN ILLEGAL, UNLICENSED DRUNK DRIVER IN A BORROWED CAR,KILLED THEM.. HOW IS THAT FOR A VARIABLE? BETTER HOME ENVIRONMENT, BETTER SCHOOLS, BETTER TAX FREE INCOME, HEALTH CARE FREE..LONG TERM TREATMENTS? THIS ILLEGAL HAD IT ALL.....PRISON IS NOT ENOUGH OF A SENTENCE FOR THIS DRUNK,ILLEGAL,UNLICENSED DRIVER...MADD DOES CARE..WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HEAL AMERICA..THINK...
Submitted by Heal America at 01:26 AM on June 18, 2012
Prison is not ending drinking and driving, and people are not being responsible , it is now time for our government to make a change by putting very car in America with alcohol monitors and fight this war of America's issues with alcoholism, which is legal and causes people to commit crimes. WE NEED LONG TERM treatments AND better schools and HOMES - NOT PRISION. MADD STOP BEING MONEY MAKING BUSINESS AND REALLY MAKE A CHANGE. That is if you really care. Heal America.

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