Rabbitt: Drunken-Driving Law Will Be Strongest In U.S.

Bill, named for 11-year-old killed by boozy adult, will make felons out of DWI-accused with children on board

November 17, 2009

Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt (R,I,C-Greenwood Lake) today applauded the passage of Leandra’s Law, a measure which will make it a felony to transport a child in a car if the driver has a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 or above. In addition, the legislation, the most comprehensive and protective of its kind in the country, will mandate that every person convicted of a DWI-related crime will have an ignition-interlock system installed in his vehicle as a condition of sentencing. Interlock devices such as a dashboard breathalyzer prevent intoxicated drivers from starting their vehicles; any attempts to tamper with or bypass the device will also be treated as a crime. Leandra’s Law is named for 11-year-old Leandra Rosado, who was killed in October when the drunk driver of the car in which she was a passenger lost control and struck a tree.

“Tonight, I voted to approve the most serious anti-drunken-driving legislation in our nation to date,” said Rabbitt. “We do not need more tragic stories like Leandra Rosado’s. The penalties contained within this measure act as a deterrent for those irresponsible enough to drive drunk with children on board. A mandatory ignition-interlock system for DWI offenders will keep dangerous drivers off the road, and a four-year prison sentence will send a message New Yorkers can be proud of: In the Empire State, drunken driving with child passengers will get you to the jailhouse. Fast.”

Leandra’s Law calls for felony charges against drivers with a passenger 15 years old or younger while intoxicated with a blood-alcohol content of 0.08 or higher.

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