MADD pushing to strengthen laws involving impaired driving
REQUIRING ALL.
>> A FEW MINUTES AGO WE TOLD
YOU THE DRIVER CHARGED IN A
CRASH THAT KILLED A FAMILY OF
3 IN GARNER IS ACCUSED OF
DRINKING AND SMOKING BEFORE
GETTING BEHIND THE WHEEL.
WE WANT TO BRING IN JENNIFER
LET NECGR WITH MOTHERS AGAINST
DRUNK DRIVING WHO FIGHTS TO
KEEP IMPAIRED DRIVERS OFF THE
ROAD EVERY DAY. JENNIFER, THANK
YOU FOR JOINING US THIS
EVENING. THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
THE DRIVER IS, YOU KNOW, FACING
SECOND-DEGREE MURDER CHARGES.
INVESTIGATORS FOUND BEER IN HIS
CAR. WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO
THE LATEST INFORMATION FROM
INVESTIGATORS ABOUT THIS CASE?
>> WELL, FIRST, MY HEART GOES
OUT TO ALL OF THOSE WHO KNEW
AND LOVED THE CAMPBELL FAMILY.
IT'S SUCH A HORRIFIC AND IN SO
MANY WAYS MADE MORE UNBEARABLE
BY THE FACT OF HOW NEEDLESS
AND SENSELESS AND ABSOLUTELY
PREVENTABLE. IT WAS.
AS FAR AS THE SPECIFICS OF THE
CASE. I'M NOT REALLY FAMILIAR
ABOUT. I DO KNOW THAT IN NORTH
CAROLINA SINCE 2019, WE'VE HAD
A 19% INCREASE AND THE DRUG
TREATMENT, DRUNK DRIVING
FATALITIES. SO WE NEED DRUNK
DRIVING TO BE PRIORITIZE ACROSS
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE JUSTICE
SYSTEM IN NORTH CAROLINA.
>> YOU ARE A LOT ABOUT CHANGE.
YOU'VE BEEN WORKING TIRELESSLY
TO GET IMPAIRED DRIVING
PREVENTION TECHNOLOGY PUT INTO
NEW VEHICLES. WHERE DOES THAT
STAND RIGHT NOW?
>> YES, THIS IS ACTUALLY
SOMETHING THAT MOTHERS AGAINST
DRUNK DRIVING HIS WORK AND HAS
BEEN WORKING ON FROM A NATIONAL
SECURITY PERSPECTIVE FOR MANY
YEARS. NOW. AND IN 2021, WE HAD
THE HALT ACT WAS SIGNED INTO
LAW AND NOW WE ARE IN
REGULATORY THESE OF THE OF THE
LAW. SO THE DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION IS NOW IN THE
WORKING ON A REGULATION FOR THE
TECHNOLOGY FOR AUTOMAKERS TO
FOLLOW.
>> WHAT HOW DOES IT WORK?
EXPLAIN TO THE TO THE FOLKS
THAT DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HALT
ACT IS ALL ABOUT.
SO THE WHOLE FACT I'M ACTUALLY
DIRECTS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
TO REQUIRE ALL NEW CARS COME
EQUIPPED WITH AN PARENT
IMPAIRED DRIVING DETECTION
TECHNOLOGY.
>> AND THIS TECHNOLOGY AT THE
SMART THAT STOPS IMPAIRED
DRIVING. IT'S, YOU KNOW,
PASSIVE AND UNOBTRUSIVE.
IT'S NOT LIKE A IGNITION
INTERLOCK DEVICE. WE HAVE TO
BLOW INTO SOMETHING IT WOULD
GO UNNOTICED BY ANYONE IN THE
VEHICLE UNLESS THE DRIVER IS
IMPAIRED IT'S INTENDED TO KEEP
THE DRIVER AND ALL OF THE
PEOPLE AROUND THEM SAY WE ONLY
HAVE A FEW MORE SECONDS.
SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT THE
TRANSPORTATION SAFETY
ADMINISTRATION IS WORKING ON
RIGHT NOW. WE COULD SEE THAT
THE IMPLEMENTED IN FUTURE CARS.
>> IN NEXT YEAR.
>> YES, HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE WE
BELIEVE THAT WE COULD SEE
VEHICLES ROLLING OFF THE
ASSEMBLY LINE AS EARLY AS 2027.
SO THAT'S VERY EXCITING.
AND EVEN WITH JUST ONE MORE
THING TO MENTION IS THAT THIS
TECHNOLOGY COULD TALK TACKLE
SO MANY TYPES OF IMPAIRMENT,
NOT JUST FROM DRIVING. SO IN
THE CASES OF THE INCREASE OF
MARIJUANA USE THAT WE'RE SEEING
AND OTHER DRUG USE THAT OR, YOU
KNOW, SO MANY DIFFERENT
IMPAIRMENTS. THIS TECHNOLOGY
CAN ACTUALLY HELP STOP THAT.
WOW. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU
FOR ALL THE ALL THE WORK THAT
YOU DO TO TRY TO KEEP IMPAIRED
DRIVERS OFF THE ROAD. REALLY