Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has named two Ohio “2017 Legislators of the Year” for their tireless work to fight drunk driving and to support the victims of these 100 percent preventable crimes.
Representative Gary Scherer authored Annie's Law and Senator Bob Peterson led the legislation through the Senate. Annie’s Law adds incentives to drunk driving offenders to install an in-car breathalyzer device on their car following the first offense to reduce the length of time their driving privileges are restricted or suspended. It is named for Annie Rooney, a Chillicothe native who was killed by a repeat drunk driver.
“MADD thanks Representative Scherer and Senator Peterson for working tirelessly to pass Annie’s Law. Because of their leadership and dedication, lives will be saved in Ohio,” said Rachel Babich, MADD Ohio State Program Manager.
In all, MADD recognized 42 lawmakers for their commitment to saving lives. For the full list, visit madd.org.
Many of the Legislators of the Year have played a major role in MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, which was launched in 2006. A key component of the Campaign calls for the passage of all-offender interlock laws, which require the use of an ignition interlock for any convicted drunk driver who seeks driving privileges during a license suspension period. Prior to the Campaign, only one state — New Mexico — had an all-offender interlock law. Today, 30 states and Washington D.C. have enacted all-offender interlock laws.
Other components of MADD’s Campaign include supporting high-visibility law enforcement, such as sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols, advocating for development of the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS), which is an advanced vehicle technology to passively detect alcohol on a driver’s breath, and supporting deployment of fully autonomous vehicles.