NEW YORK — The new DMV points system in New York, which took effect recently, aims to impose stricter penalties on drunk drivers. The system now assigns up to 11 points for a single DWI offense, potentially leading to a license suspension.

Paige Carbone from Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s New York chapter said, “We have a little bit of a mixed reaction with this news.”

Carbone explained that while the new laws are a positive step, the focus should be on addressing the root causes of drunk driving. “We’re not opposed to this. You know, we understand where New York State is coming from,” Carbone said. “But again, I think, really having those conversations, really looking at it as more of a behavior modification than a punishment type of thing is sort of the way that we like to look at having those stricter laws in the state of New York.”

Carbone says MADD is advocating for stricter blood alcohol content laws, aiming to lower the legal limit from 0.08 to 0.05 in New York.

Erica Linn, another MADD advocate, shared her personal experience, saying, “I lost both of my parents on my 50th birthday in Westchester County, New York [at] 2:00 in the afternoon.”

Linn emphasized the importance of using breathalyzer interlock systems in vehicles of offenders to prevent impaired driving. “We use with the interlock systems, which is supposed to be installed into all vehicles of offenders, to kind of give them an awareness, getting behind a 4,000 pound vehicle when you’re impaired is not the smart thing to do,” Linn said.

MADD says only about 25% of those required to have a breathalyzer installed in their cars actually do, and drivers often find ways to bypass these systems.

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