New legislation requires tech in cars to curb drunk driving

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Inside President Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure measure is authorities dedicated to keeping drunken radical from driving cars. Beginning successful 2026, automakers volition beryllium required to adhd sensors to their vehicles that’ll observe drowsiness, distracted driving and whether a operator has been excessively impaired by intoxicant to run a conveyance safely.

The past point hits location some personally and professionally for Alex Otte. At 24 years old, she’s successful her 10th period arsenic president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). She’s 11 years removed from astir being killed by a drunken boater connected Herrington Lake successful Kentucky.

“When I was loaded into the chopper (after the crash), my parents were told to accidental goodbye due to the fact that determination was nary anticipation of maine surviving the ride,” she said.

Otte suffered encephalon injuries, a breached neck, lacerated liver, leg, and facial fractures. She needed a partial limb amputation, and for 10 years, she averaged astatine slightest 1 country annually since that vessel slammed into her pitchy ski. Doctors told her she made a miraculous recovery. Thanks to her father, she decided to bash thing with the opportunity.

“My dada had a speech with maine erstwhile I was successful the infirmary that everything that happened to that constituent was Sammy Heckler’s prime – the antheral who ran maine implicit – and that everything that happens present is up to me,” she recalled.

The authorities is thing MADD officials person been wanting for years, but Otte volition get the recognition for helping to walk it done Congress since it happened connected her watch.

“I really had an accidental to conscionable with the president and person conversations with him. My past remark to him was, ‘I truly anticipation this won’t beryllium the lone statesmanlike bill-signing of my term,'” she explained of her gathering earlier this twelvemonth with President Joe Biden.

Otte was successful Washington for the signing of a measure to widen backing for “VOCA,” the Victims of Crime Act. She said President Biden told her helium hoped it wouldn’t beryllium her past measure signing either.

The infrastructure measure could beryllium signed arsenic aboriginal arsenic adjacent week. And Otte is hoping to go the archetypal MADD president to witnesser 2 measure signings successful the White House.

“I’m successful Dallas today, and I person much presentations connected the roadworthy adjacent week, truthful hopefully, I tin beryllium determination for it,” she said.

Whether she’s determination oregon spreading the connection elsewhere, she volition beryllium smiling erstwhile President Biden’s pen meets paper.

This communicative was primitively reported by Michael Berk connected lex18.com.