House OKs bill to get convicted drunk drivers back on roads more quickly

Under state law, a driver is considered impaired with an alcohol content of 0.08 percent.

Senate Bill 183 would eliminate the six-week waiting period before the device could be installed, making it legal for offenders to drive to their jobs or other essential duties like court-ordered treatment immediately.

The bill also provides financial help to low-income individuals who cannot afford the installation costs and monthly fees that come with an interlock device.

"It is allowing people, which is what we've been hearing people ask for, to get back to work, to keep them trying to be functional and not getting into a vehicle and driving while they're drunk," said Rep. Sarah Stevens, R-Surry.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD, has called the bill life-saving legislation and urged lawmakers to “support this important modernization to stop the tragedies caused by drunk driving.”

The North Carolina Sheriff’s Association also supports the bill, as does the Governor's Highway Safety Program.

But some lawmakers were against it, saying it's relaxing the punishment for people driving with nearly twice the legal limit of alcohol in their system.

The bill now goes back to the Senate for a final vote.