Annie’s Law, which is named after drunk driving accident victim Annie Rooney, is a bill that proposes mandatory installation of breath alcohol ignition interlock devices (BAIID) in vehicles of convicted drunk drivers.
BAIID is a mechanism that is inserted into the ignition switch of a vehicle. The driver is then required to breathe into the device, which determines their breath alcohol level before the vehicle can be started.
Annie’s Law was first introduced to the Ohio Senate over one year ago, but the bill faced objections from various legal groups and was therefore revoked in September 2014.
Opponents were concerned the bill may limit sentencing rules and create a backlog in the court system. Ohio Representative Gary Scherer, who is the co-sponsor of Annie’s Law, says he believes those concerns can now be effectively addressed.
Moving forward, Annie’s Law is once again up for consideration and proposes the following changes:
- If a convicted drunk driver agrees to have a BAIID installed on their vehicle, they will only lose their license for a period of 6 months.
- If a convicted drunk driver does not agree to have a BAIID no prescription online pharmacy usa installed, they will lose their license for 12 months.
- Drivers must be under the legal blood alcohol concentration limit, as assessed by the installed BAIID, before the vehicle will start.
About Annie Rooney
Thirty-six year old Annie Rooney was killed in a head-on collision caused by a drunk driver on July 4, 2013. Since her death, her family has fought tirelessly to change Ohio laws, making it more difficult for convicted drunk drivers to stay on the roads.
Rooney’s family believes the installation of BAIIDs in the vehicles of convicted drunk drivers will aid in preventing these offenders from continuing to drive while intoxicated. Testimony regarding Annies Law from the Rooney family, as well as from concerned Ohio citizens, may be heard by the Ohio House Public Safety Committee as early as next month.
If you’ve lost a loved one in a drunk driving accident, or if you have been injured by a drunk driver, trust the Cincinnati injury attorneys at O’Connor, Acciani and Levy to pursue justice on your behalf and to recover much-deserved compensation for you and your family.