Bill Proposes DUI Offenders' Participation in Drunk Driving Panel

The impact a drunk driving accident can have on a helpless victim is immense. The costs of medical bills can pile up and injuries can prevent an individual from returning to a much needed source of income and work.
In order to get drunk drivers to understand the affects their choices have had on the lives of others, one Missouri lawmaker is proposing a bill that would require those who are convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs to participate in a victim impact panel.
Missouri State Rep. Mike Kelley is sponsoring Toby’s Law. The bill mandates that all DUI offenders take part in a program that allows a Missouri drunk driving victim to explain how the accident they were involved in changed their lives forever.
Toby’s Law was named after Tobias Olsen, a young boy who was killed along with his mother after a drunk driver struck their vehicle in 2007.
According to an article from ABC 17 News, Rep. Kelley believes participation in the panels can raise a drunk driver’s level of awareness about their choices and how those decisions had negative effects on others. This can create a change in the offender’s perspective on their own behavior and can influence them not to drive drunk again.
At Cofman Townsley, we believe in holding drunk drivers liable for their actions and our St. Louis auto accident lawyers are hopeful this new bill will be approved soon, so that it can create a sense of accountability amongst drunk drivers.