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Almost a third of all traffic fatalities in the US die in accidents caused by drunk drivers
Photo: Panthermedia / IMAGO
Every year in the US, nearly 12,000 people die in crashes caused by drunk drivers -- about 30 percent of all road deaths.
Several states are trying to counteract this with tougher penalties.
In Tennessee, the consequences are now even more far-reaching than before.
The “Ethan, Hailey and Bentley” law went into effect there on January 1st.
Named after three children whose parents died in accidents believed to have been caused by a drunk driver.
The law requires those found guilty to pay child support for surviving children until they are 18 or graduate from high school.
The law was initiated by Cecilia Williams from Missouri and her cousin Diane Sutton.
Williams took in two of her grandchildren after an accident killed her son, his wife and their four-month-old baby.
Sutton said in an interview with a local television station that repeat offenders in particular are a massive problem.
"We can't bring our loved ones back with it, but at least that way we know the offender will always be reminded."
Williams told American media last year that she was shocked by the penalties most states imposed for drunk driving.
The perpetrators are often imprisoned for a maximum of a few years, and many are released early.
"The one thing people care about more than anything else is their money," she said.
She therefore hopes that long-term financial consequences will influence future decisions.
Tennessee was the first state to pass the "Ethan, Hailey and Bentley" law, and several others are currently working on their own versions.
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