WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.Editorial: DUI Legislation

Editorial: DUI Legislation

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By Collin Gaston - bio | email

  • Editorials

  • Friday, May 18 2012 7:20 PM EDT2012-05-18 23:20:53 GMT
    If you text and drive it's a matter of WHEN and not IF you will be involved in an accident. The odds are stacked against you when your eyes and hands are more focused on your cell phone than they are
    If you text and drive it's a matter of WHEN and not IF you will be involved in an accident.  The odds are stacked against you when your eyes and hands are more focused on your cell phone than they are the other motorists on the roadways.

  • Tuesday, May 15 2012 7:20 PM EDT2012-05-15 23:20:31 GMT
    On our editorial suggesting that the governor raise taxes to fund Medicaid, we received these comments: "If the budget is passed at this severely cut rate, the shortage of physicians, hospitals, and clinics
    On our editorial suggesting that the governor raise taxes to fund Medicaid, we received these comments:

  • Tuesday, May 1 2012 7:20 PM EDT2012-05-01 23:20:35 GMT
    If your commute includes I-85 in the mornings I'm sure you've noticed men alongside the roadways picking up trash and road debris and thought to yourself "who would want to do that?"
    If your commute includes I-85 in the mornings I'm sure you've noticed men alongside the roadways picking up trash and road debris and thought to yourself "who would want to do that?"

  • Friday, April 20 2012 7:20 PM EDT2012-04-20 23:20:42 GMT
    For the next sixty seconds I want you to give yourself permission to push pause on whatever you are doing and listen and reflect for a moment. I did this recently after reading an article titled "Top five

  • Wednesday, April 18 2012 7:27 PM EDT2012-04-18 23:27:31 GMT
    Representative Christopher John England (Tuscaloosa) has sponsored a bill in the Alabama legislature that would allow convicted felons of drug crimes to receive food stamps under certain circumstances.
MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) -

It took a while to get Alabama on this dance floor but finally we are there. Governor Robert Bentley this month signed into law House Bill 361, the Matthew John Dahl DUI Prevention Act.

With his signature, Governor Bentley makes Alabama the 50th state to enact an ignition interlock law. No high fives for being last on this potentially life-saving law.

The new law, which will take effect September 1, 2011, requires repeat DUI offenders and those convicted with a blood alcohol content of .15 or greater to have an ignition interlock in their car.

Cars or trucks equipped with this device will not start unless the breath of the driver is below the allowable limit. You will have to "blow before you go."

It's a shame that we need technology to keep people from doing the wrong thing especially when they have been caught before and know the deadly ramifications of their actions.

But that's the world we live in and we are glad we have this law and device now in place to be the conscious of those making bad decisions.

We appreciate your feedback.

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