Police say the recent spike of DWI cases in which mothers have kids in their cars could be due to increased enforcement on the roads.

The disturbing trend of moms driving drunk has gotten the attention of the Westchester County Probation Department. Currently, there are 12 moms on probation for drinking with their kids in the car. Probation officers hope time in jail will help the mothers realize the seriousness and potentially deadly outcome of their decisions. Police say they hope the increase isn?t due to more mothers driving drunk, but rather an increased ability by officers to get them off the road. Westchester County police are actively searching for drunken drivers during the daytime hours. They have also increased training among officers to recognize the signs of intoxication.

The county is working to see that mothers face harsher penalties. If someone is convicted on a DWI charge, part of the sentence is attendance at a victim impact meeting. During those meetings, DWI offenders hear from people like Carole Sears, whose husband Andy was killed by a drunken driver.

Sears is also a mother and the president of the Westchester chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. She would like to see mothers guilty of DWI face some real consequences to drive home the message.Related Information When Mommy Drives Drunk Part I: Why moms do it