New York Passes Tough New DWI Laws

New York Governor David Patterson has signed an assembly bill into law that increases the penalties for those accused of drunk driving with a minor in the vehicle.

The Child Passenger Protection Act, also called Leandra's Law, makes it a felony crime for a person to drive under the influence of drugs or with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 percent or higher with a child under the age of 16 in the vehicle.

The penalties for this offense include up four years in prison or anywhere from seven to 25 years in prison if a child is killed in an accident.

The bill is named after 11-year-old Leandra Rosado, who was killed last month when the car she was riding in crashed.  The driver of the vehicle is accused of driving while intoxicated. She was transporting several children to a sleep over, but Rosado was the only one who died in the crash.

When asked about the new law, Leandra's father, Lenny Rosado, said "It's gonna save many children's lives, whether in the car or outside. That's the goal I knew my daughter was pushing me to stay strong."

The bill also calls for stricter penalties and mandatory ignition interlock devices to be installed in the vehicles of first-time DWI offenders.

Leandra's law is considered one of the toughest, if not THE toughest, anti-DWI laws in the country.

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