Res. No. 1210 Title Resolution calling upon the Legislature of the State of New York to take all such measures as are required to meet the standards demanded by Mothers Against Drunk Driving and by Guide One Foundation to achieve a rating of "A" in the organization's Report Card Survey. Body By Council Members Harrison, Dear, Espada, Freed, Henry, Marshall, Nelson and Stabile; also Council Members Eisland, Michels, O'Donovan and Perkins Whereas, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and its sister organization, Guide One Foundation, seek to "stop drunk driving and support victims of this violent crime"; and Whereas, In New York State during 1998, 365 persons lost their lives in alcohol-related traffic fatalities; and Whereas, MADD has been instrumental in making the term "designated driver" a household word, and been an advocate of programs that have reduced alcohol-related traffic deaths in its estimation "more than 40 percent in the past two decades"; and Whereas, MADD seeks continued improvements in traffic safety so that drunk driving and underage-drinking problems become "problems of the past"; and Whereas, In November 1999 shortly before MADD's 20th anniversary in 2000, MADD released a "report card survey" that rates the drunk driving program in each state; and Whereas, The survey examines 11 key categories related to the impaired-driving problem: political leadership, statistics and records, financial self-sufficiency for DUI/DWI programs, victims' issues, key and priority laws, alcohol-related fatality trends, law enforcement, administrative measures and criminal sanctions, regulatory control of the sale of alcohol, legislation and prevention efforts to combat underage drinking and impaired driving, and public awareness and education programs; and Whereas, In order for a state to receive an "A" on the report card survey, MADD requires "an administrative license revocation law, a .08 Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) law, and primary or standard enforcement seat-belt law, in addition to other legislative measures"; and Whereas, California is the only state with an A rating, and New York has B- rating, although MADD notes it is one of the states with the "greatest decreases in fatal crashes involving drunk drivers in the period from 1996 to 1998"; and Whereas, The legislative priorities of the New York Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving are: 1) A4775 sponsored by the Majority Leader of the State Assembly Michael J. Bragman and S4552 sponsored by State Senator James W. Wright that creates the "B" felony crime of aggravated Driving While Intoxicated for those motorists whose BAC is above .20, 2) A4776 sponsored by the Majority Leader of the State Assembly Michael J. Bragman and S4179 sponsored by State Senator Patricia K. McGee which provides for the permanent revocation of a driver's license for a person with three alcohol-related incidents within a five-year period or four within a ten-year period, 3) A5060 sponsored by Assembly Member Joseph E. Robach and S183 sponsored by State Senator James S. Alesi which increases the license revocation periods for chemical test refusals, 4) A2112 by Assembly Member Paul A. Tokasz and S1409 by State Senator Dale M. Volker which elevates vehicular assault and vehicular manslaughter in the second degree to a first degree offense when in addition to existing provisions regarding unlicensed operation, any of the following elements exist: death or serious physical injury resulted to more than one person or the defendant was previously convicted of an alcohol-related offense where death or serious injury resulted, 5) A1064 sponsored by Assembly Member David Koon and S3608 sponsored by State Senator Dale M. Volker which authorizes placement of signs along state highways identifying persons killed in alcohol-related crashes, 6) A2341 sponsored by Assembly Member Elizabeth A. Connelly which lowers the per se level of intoxication for operation of all vehicles from the current .10 standard to .08; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the Legislature of the State of New York to take all such measures as are required to meet the standards demanded by Mothers Against Drunk Driving and by Guide One Foundation to achieve a rating of "A" in the organization's Report Card Survey. LS#2569 2/22/00 NMR:lc ?? |1013|