New York law curbs driving drunk with child passengers
New York's Leandra's Law has led to felony convictions for about 70 percent of those who were sentenced, according to New York Daily News.
The state's division of Criminal Justice Services said the law, also called the Child Passenger Protection Act, makes it a felony to drive drunk with a child under the age of 16. This crime, enacted in December 2009, is punishable by up to four years in prison.
The law also requires all drivers who are convicted of a misdemeanor or a felony drunk driving charge, regardless of whether a child was in the car, to use an ignition interlock device on any vehicles they use for at least six months, according to the source.
While 310 people were charged under this law, 214 were convicted. More than 40 percent of those sentenced spent time in prison, according to a recent report by the news outlet.
"The law is working because it makes the punishment of driving drunk with a child passenger in the vehicle fit the crime," Frank Harris, a member of Mothers Against Drunk Driving told the news source.
New state drunk driving laws may be of interest to individuals who are considering applying to online criminal justice programs.
