The law is pretty clear here in New York: drinking and driving is illegal and if you are convicted of this very serious crime, you will suffer the legal consequences which can range from fines to license suspensions to time in jail. But what about in other states? Are the risks of drinking and driving as severe? More to the point, how does New York stack up against other states in effectiveness of curbing DUIs?
These questions could be answered, in part, by a MADD report that rated every state on how effective each one was at stopping drunk drivers. As some of our Poughkeepsie readers may know, this report is part of MADD’s “Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving,” which aims to “create stronger laws” with the help of law enforcement and legislators. So what grade did New York get? Let’s take a look.
According to a USA Today article, MADD’s rating system looked at “five different areas of countermeasures that can be taken to prevent drunk driving fatalities,” such as license revocation, ignition interlock devices, sobriety checkpoints, and stricter laws when drinking and driving puts other lives in danger. According to this five-point system, New York receives a four.
As most of our frequent readers know, we received such a high rating from MADD because of our strict DUI laws such as Leandra’s Law, which requires an ignition interlock device installed on any vehicle owned by a person who is sentenced for Driving While Intoxicated. There is also our use of sobriety checkpoints and another strict state law that makes it a felony to operate a vehicle while intoxicated with a passenger under the age of 16.
Most people in our state take our laws very seriously because they know what could happen if they don’t. It’s because of this respect for the law and concern about how it could affect one’s future that most people seek legal counsel when facing criminal charges. Without the help of a lawyer, you can never be sure you are really protecting your rights or getting the best outcome possible for your case.
Source: Madd.org, “Child Endangerment,” Accessed Jan. 30, 2015
