Wisconsin is being told to change its attitude about drinking and driving.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving Wisconsin executive director Kari Kinnard says first time offenders have it too easy. She says it's flat out wrong that Wisconsin doesn't even treat the first OWI as a crime.
Kinnard says the state needs stricter penalties, so drivers think twice about getting behind the wheel after drinking. She says the current system sends a message that driving drunk is an accepted behavior that is at worst a mistake, so it's no surprise that Wisconsin leads the nation in repeat offenders.
MADD is calling on lawmakers to allow police to run sobriety checkpoints to help keep impaired drivers off the roads. The group also wants to require ignition interlock devices to be installed in cars after a person is convicted of an OWI. To make that happen, Kinnard says the public needs to convince lawmakers that they want tougher penalties.
