North Carolina legislature to vote on new DUI bill

MADD is supporting a new bill proposed in the North Carolina state legislature that would require IIDs for all drunk drivers.

According to the Stately News and Press, three North Carolina state senators jointly introduced a new bill relating to drunk driving penalties. If passed, every single convicted drunk driver in North Carolina would have to install and use an ignition interlock device. As it stands now, IIDs are only used by some drivers who meet certain criteria such as having prior DUI offenses on record.

Such a law is not revolutionary as both nearby Virginia and Tennessee have similar requirements in place. So too do 22 other states throughout the nation.

What is the view of drunk driving in Charlotte?

Every drunk driving accident can have major impacts on people’s lives. This can include high medical expenses, loss of time at work, lengthy recovery times and even death. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for 2013, only one county in the state had more vehicular fatalities resulting from drunk driving crashes than Mecklenburg County.

Detailed information shows the following:

• In all of North Carolina, 371 people died in drunk driving car accidents.
• Wake County was the site of 29 of those deaths.
• Mecklenburg County recorded 27 drunk driving deaths.
• The county with the next highest number of deaths from impaired accidents was Cumberland County. There, 16 people died in such crashes.

In both Roberson and Guilford Counties, 14 people each lost their lives at the hands of drunk drivers.

What is seen in the news?

Stories about drunk driving appear regularly in the media. One recent story pointed out a risk that all people should be aware of. The MyFox8.com article indicated that a bar in East Charlotte was given a warning by officers for essentially promoting drinking and driving. The bar owner allegedly posted a sign luring customers to drink there before drinking and driving.

A WNCN.com report told of a drunk driving fatality in which the drunk driver cost himself his own life. The man was operating his doorless Jeep in a parking lot in the early hours of a morning. While driving, he fell out of the vehicle and died after he was run over by it. There were four passengers inside and one was reported to have sustained serious injuries.

After crashing his vehicle and being found on the ground, a driver failed field sobriety tests and was arrested for drunk driving according to The Herald Online. The accident took down power lines as a utility pole was hit.

How people can get help

Victims and loved ones of those involved in drunk driving crashes deserve compensation. Getting help from a lawyer immediately is recommended.

Keywords: drunk driving, injury, accident