Politics & Government

POLL: Connecticut DUI Drivers To Get Licenses Back More Quickly - If They Install a Breathalyzer

New legislation will come into operation July 1.

Governor Dannel Malloy signed new legislation Tuesday for people convicted of drunk driving in Connecticut.

The new legislation will allow drivers charged or convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol to get their licenses back after a 45 day suspension, rather than the 90 days that is currently the law.

This shorter suspension requires these drivers to only drive cars that have in-car breathalyzers, which tests the alcohol levels in a driver’s breath before allowing the car to start. The legislation will come into effect July 1.

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The bill targets “people who have already demonstrated a propensity for driving while drunk and discourages them from doing so again,” Mike Lawlor, Under Secretary for Criminal Justice Policy and Planning, told Patch.

“This means people will still be able to drive to work and get on with their lives,” Lawlor continued.

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Lawlor explained the initiative for the bill came from Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD), a nonprofit working to protect families from drunk driving and underage drinking. MADD’s focus has recently been on prevention of drink driving to great success, according to Lawlor.

The number of drink-related driving fatalities in Connecticut fell 25 percent in the last 10 years, according to figures from The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility.

Do you think this is going to make Connecticut’s roads safer? Let us know in the Comments section or in the above poll.






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