Georgia state legislator says DUI offenders should get second chance

A new proposal has been submitted in Georgia's state legislature that would change the state's DUI laws back to what they used to be, when people convicted of driving under the influence could have their convictions dropped from their records after five years, NBC affiliate 11 Alive reports.

According to the news source, Representative Rusty Kidd introduced the bill, which has caused much debate among state Congress.

"I think the five-year punishment is a lot for some people not to get the job they want or not be able to get into law school," he stated. "Give them five years. If they keep their nose clean for five years, that's a long time."

However, Harris Blackwood, the executive director of the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, says that although drinking and driving is sometimes called a "youthful indiscretion," it still should have adult consequences. With about 40,000 DUI arrests made in Georgia every year, Blackwood says their is real danger on the state's roads.

"I don't condone anybody getting a DUI or driving while they're drinking," Kidd asserted. "But I think we ought to give people a second chance."

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 331 drunk driving fatalities in the state in 2009. 

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