Victims of drunk-driving accidents went to the state legislature on Tuesday to push for a bill they say would save lives. It's an effort to expand ignition interlock systems.
An ignition interlock requires drivers to blow into a device that measures their blood alcohol level. If they've been drinking, their car won't start.
While it's often required after a drunk-driving conviction, a bill that passed the state House would give people charged with DWI the option to get the device installed immediately. That would allow for a reduced sentence,
Representative Allen Chesser said, "We're not just punishing people for a mistake that they made, but we're trying to help them improve their lives and change behaviors for the future."
Stephanie Ronin was severely injured in a Wilson County wreck caused by a drunk driver who'd been charged with a similar offense weeks earlier.
"Had this law been in effect, that could have prevented the crash from permanently disabling me," she said.
House bill sponsors called on the Senate to pass the bill soon.