A Meridian lawmaker hopes to change drunk driving laws and wants the Legislature to take notice of children who may be in the same vehicle. For the most part, drunk driving laws in Mississippi are focused on the driver of the vehicle.

Rep. Greg Snowden has been pushed for a DUI child endangerment bill for the last two years. He won approval of the proposal in the House, attaching to a bill that would allow a person on a second offense to be given house arrest or ordered into inpatient treatment at an alcohol and drug rehabilitation center.

Currently there are thirty-eight states that have some sort of DUI child endangerment law. Mississippi, along with 14 other states, including the District of Columbia, do not.

Supporters of these laws argue that child endangerment, when it comes to drunk driving, falls under the catergory of child abuse since the parent or caregiver is knowingly putting the child in danger by placing them in the car and then drinking and driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration lists there were 700 traffic fatalities in Mississippi in 2009; 97 of those killed were under the age of 20. Of the total deaths, 234 people had a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent — the legal limit in Mississippi — or higher; with 169 being drivers.

The lawyers at Richard Schwartz want all Mississippi drivers to be cautious and careful at all times while driving and to never drink and drive. If you’ve been involved in a car crash, their attorneys will be glad to help you file your auto accident claim and communicating with the insurance company.