State to Impose Tougher DWI Laws

The Buffalo News reported today that tougher DWI laws will take effect. the News reported that “Special ignition locking devices will be imposed on any driver convicted of drunken driving, including first-time offenders, and new felonies will be created for intoxicated drivers with a child in the vehicle under an agreement reached Tuesday in Albany.” It further reported that “New York will become the 12th state to enact mandatory ignition lock devices for drivers convicted of any level of drunken driving, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.

Under a deal between the governor and both houses of the Legislature, those convicted of driving with blood-alcohol levels of 0.08 percent or higher are required to have ignition interlock devices present in any vehicles they drive for at least six months. The approximately $60 to $70 monthly cost of the devices … which require drivers to blow into a Breathalyzer-type device to operate the car … will be paid for by the drivers. Currently, ignition interlock devices are mandatory for convictions in which a driver has a blood-alcohol level above 0.18 percent.”

Keeping the roads safe for everyone should be a primary concern of all citizens.