Montgomery – Alabama Attorney General Troy King proposed legislation Monday to toughten the law against people who drink alcoholic beverages and then drive.
The bill would increase the sentences for violators. It would also make some DUI offenders install interlocking devices in their cars so the vehicle would not start until the driver passed an on-the-spot breathalyzer test.
King's proposal would close a loophole in the state's current DUI law. King said the new law would make it clear that drunken driving is a felony after four convictions with no exceptions.
State Representative Priscilla Dunn, a Bessemer Democrat, has also pre-filed a bill that would allow judges to require use of the interlocking devices. Dunn said she has filed the bill for the last four sessions and that each time it has passed the House and died in the Senate.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)