12/5/08-The National Transportation Safety Board has singled out the state of Rhode Island for its lack of success in curbing drunken driving. Describing the NTSB report as a “wake-up call,” Sen. Leonidas Raptakis, D-Coventry, said he plans to offer three bills during the session that starts Jan. 6 to add penalties.
New requirements sought by Raptakis include requiring the license plate of a vehicle be confiscated and impounded for 90 days for anyone suspected of driving under the influence, The Providence Journal reported.
He also wants to double the period of time a driver’s history can be examined. The “look back” period would be extended from five years to 10 years. In addition, penalties would be increased for people convicted of driving under the influence, resulting in serious injury or death.
Advocates for stricter drunken driving rules cite statistics that show drivers who are convicted on driving while intoxicated usually have driven drunk between 80 and 100 times before being caught.
“We must make it harder for convicted drunk drivers to get behind the wheel the next time,” Raptakis said in a written statement.
In addition to Rhode Island, the NTSB identified Michigan and Montana as doing little to curb drunken driving. Those states have enacted two of 11 recommendations from the NTSB to reduce alcohol-related crashes and fatalities.