Proposal for DUI Law Changes

A SURPRISING PROPOSAL ON CAPITOL HILL TONIGHT... COULD MEAN LESS TIME IN JAIL FOR PEOPLE WHO DRINK AND DRIVE

INSTEAD... DRUNK DRIVERS COULD BE HEADING TO TREATMENT CENTERS.

SUPPORTERS SAY IT'S ALL ABOUT REDUCING THE 23-THOUSAND D-U-I ARRESTS EVERY YEAR IN TENNESSEE.

MANY OF THOSE SUSPECTS ARE REPEAT OFFENDERS.

STATE LAWMAKERS ARE CONSIDERING A CHANGE... THAT COMBINES JAIL TIME... TREATMENT... AND ALCOHOL MONITORING DEVICES ON VEHICLES

POLICE HAVE THEIR HANDS FULL ENFORCING D-U-I LAWS... AND YOU CAN OFTEN FIND THE WORST OFFENDERS INSIDE THE COUNTY JAIL.

BUT A PROPOSAL TONIGHT COULD MEAN SOME BIG CHANGES.

TOM KIMBALL / DIST. ATTORNEYS GENERAL CONFERENCE: "Long periods of jail keep us temporarily safe, but in the long term they don't keep us any safer."

TENNESSEE'S DISTRICT ATTORNEYS ARE USING A WORD YOU DON'T OFTEN HEAR... INSTEAD OF INCARCERATION...THEY'RE TALKING TREATMENT.

THE IDEA WAS FIRST DEVELOPED BY GOVERNOR BREDESEN'S D-U-I TASK FORCE, TO HELP REPEAT OFFENDERS WITH ADDICTION PROBLEMS.

Tom Kimball: "The day that somebody got out of jail a lot of them were just thirsty, and they were going to their favorite bar, and they were going to drive again."

NOW STATE LAWMAKERS ARE CONSIDERING A PLAN THAT MEANS SHORTER JAIL SENTENCES... IN EXCHANGE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS IN REHAB... FOLLOWED BY CLOSE MONITORING.

THE PROPOSAL EVEN HAS SUPPORT FROM MOTHERS AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING.

LAURA DIAL / MADD OF TENNESSEE: "We're supporting less jail time but this is with treatment, and they have to be compliant with treatment, as soon as they're no longer compliant with treatment, then immediately they go back to jail."

JOHN DUNN / FOX 17 NEWS: After a drunk driver leaves treatment they would then have a monitoring device installed in their car... and if they've been drinking the car won't start.

THE IGNITION INTERLOCK DEVICE IS SIMILAR TO A BREATHALYZER.

THE SYSTEM IS ALREADY IN USE IN TENNESSEE... BUT A CHANGE IN THE LAW... COULD MAKE IT WIDESPREAD.

Laura Dial: "It keeps people from being able to drive drunk."

REPRESENTATIVE JOHN HOOD OF MURFREESBORO HOPES TO SEE THE IGNITION DEVICE ON A LOT MORE CARS.

Rep. John Hood / (D) Murfreesboro: "We've had so many people with numerous DUI offenses continue to drive and continue to have accidents either injuring or killing other citizens."

THE BOTTOM LINE GOAL IS TO KEEP DRUNK DRIVERS OFF THE ROAD.. AND SAVE LIVES.

LAWMAKERS ARE ALSO CONSIDERING A PLAN TO ALLOW LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO SEIZE YOUR DRIVER LICENSE ON THE SPOT.. IF YOU'RE PULLED OVER FOR A D-U-I.