Child Endangerment Report: Every Child Deserves a Designated Driver
This report outlines weaknesses in state laws against child endangerment and calls for increased penalties and more training and awareness about the problem. The report, which was prepared by a panel of national experts, found that drivers who are caught drinking and driving with a child in the car are often not charged with child endangerment and that when such charges are brought, they are often reduced through plea-bargaining or dismissed. The MADD report makes several recommendations, including calls to:
- Provide public awareness and training on child endangerment issues for judges, attorneys, law enforcement, family services, and other heath and safety officials.
- Establish state child endangerment laws that apply specifically to children at least 16 years old.
- Increase enforcement of child passenger safety laws, adopt primary seat belt laws, and consider a provision for adding points to driver?s license records for violations.
- Provide for the revocation or suspension of drivers? licenses for alcohol-related child endangerment violations.
Require installation of alcohol ignition interlock device on vehicles used by a child endangerment offender to transport children. - Include a mandatory provision in every separation agreement and divorce decree that prohibits either parent from drinking and driving (or driving under the influence of other drugs) with minor children in the vehicle.
http://www.madd.org/docs/CE%20Report%202005%20Update.pdf
672K
Publication Year: 2004
Publisher
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
511 East John Carpenter Freeway, Suite 700
Irving,
tx 75062
Phone: 214-744-6233, 800-438-6233
Website:
http://www.madd.orgEmail:
info@madd.org
