MADD Wants Change to DUI Law

JACKSON, Miss. — Mothers Against Drunk Driving released its annual Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving: 2014 Report to the Nation which rated states based on five criteria for effectively addressing drunk driving.

In the report, MADD awarded Mississippi four out of five stars. In order for Mississippi to be a five star state, MADD calls on the legislature to pass legislation to require ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers.

“In 2013, MADD had hoped that Mississippi had passed meaningful DUI reform,” said MADD National President Jan Withers. “Unfortunately, last minute actions in a House and Senate Conference Committee may have had the unintended effect of making Mississippi’s DUI law worse.”

All is not lost. HB 481 does not go into effect until July 2014 so the legislature can fix this problem and its ignition interlock law. MADD states in its report that all stars are not equal and that requiring ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers is the best way to protect the public from drunk drivers.

“The Report is a blueprint for the elimination of drunk driving. Families in Mississippi deserve to be protected from drunk drivers and MADD calls on the legislature to fix its ignition interlock law,” added Withers.

The full Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving report can be found at http://www.madd.org/reporttothenation2014.