Anti-drunk driving advocates and victims talk potential impacts of new DMV point system
The new policy says any alcohol or drug-related conviction or incident will result in 11 points on a person's license.
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Stiffer penalties in the state's driver point system officially start today.
The new policy says any alcohol or drug-related conviction or incident will result in 11 points on a person's license.
Those violations previously carried zero points.
"11 points on someone's license, that's nothing compared to putting someone in the ground to funerals, to permanent injuries," says president of Dedicatedd Marge Lee.
Lee was hit head on by a drunk driver years ago and her oldest son was killed.
"My two younger ones at the time were more injured, and I was seriously injured. So, I was in two full leg casts for a long time and just broken from head to toe," she said.
The DMV says driving with a suspended or revoked license will also increase to 11 points.
"I think it will make a dent. Do I think it's going to be the magic bullet, the panacea? No, and that's the unfortunate thing," said Lee.
Susan File, of Oyster Bay, is also paying attention to the new points policy.
She was hit by a drunk driver 30 years ago in Syosset.
"I was in pain for years," said File. "30 years later, I had to have major spinal surgery."
File agrees with Lee and says the increased point values are a good first step.
"It doesn't matter if you take away everything, including their car, they'll find somebody else that they're going to go to and be able to get into that car," said Lee.
Under the new point system, passing a stopped school bus goes from five to eight points. Speed contests or racing is changing from zero to five points.
