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Congresswoman McCollum Joins Legislation to Help Fight Drunk Driving

September 28, 2010

For Immediate Release: September 28, 2010
Contact: Maria Reppas, (202) 225-6631 / (202) 527-0149 maria.reppas@mail.house.gov

Washington, DC - Congresswoman McCollum recently cosponsored two pieces of legislation in support of the fight against drunk driving. The ROADS SAFE Act (H.R. 4890) would fund the research and development of vehicle technologies to end drunk driving, and the Drunk Driving Repeat Offender Prevention Act (H.R. 4891) would require the installation of ignition interlock devices in the automobiles of convicted drunk drivers for a minimum of 180 days.

"Drunk drivers risk the lives of innocent people, and our communities shouldn't have to tolerate this reckless endangerment," said Congresswoman McCollum. "The ROADS SAFE Act (H.R. 4890) and the Drunk Driving Repeat Offender Prevention Act are sound policies, which will hopefully reduce the occurrences of drunk driving and make our roads and cities safer. When a drunk driver gets behind the wheel, he risks the safety of every driver in his path."

H.R. 4890 and H.R. 4891 were introduced by Republican Congressman Vernon Ehlers (MI-3). Last year in Minnesota, drunk driving killed 141 people, and there were an estimated 46,000 DWI violations.

Despite successful educational and enforcement initiatives, drunk driving still accounts for one third of all traffic fatalities. An estimated 9,000 lives could be saved every year if all vehicles were equipped with advanced alcohol detection technology.

A proud supporter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Congresswoman McCollum will continue advocating policies, such as H.R. 4890 and H.R. 4891, that fight drunk driving and save lives.