New Hampshire House Slashes Bill Protecting Intoxicated Drivers

On Thursday, the NH House voted down a bill, which the Senate approved a month ago, aiming to protect drunk drivers who attempt to sober up in their vehicles.

Under the bill presented, operators sleeping or resting in a parked car would not be considered driving or attempting to drive under drunken-driving laws. The House voted it down by a vote of 209-122.

According to Fox 6, one supporter, Rep. Brian Stone, a Republican from Northwood said “Sleeping in your car to sober up after the bars close is not attempting to drive, it’s attempting not to kill someone." Another, Rep. Dan Hynes, a Republican from Merrimack told Fox "“We want people to stay safe and safe for others by not driving. We want people to do the right thing, sleep it off and not put the public at risk.”

Rep. Kate Murray, a Democrat of New Castle, said police should be trusted to decide whether to charge someone sleeping off “their drunken stupor in their presumably non-moving car.  DWI is a serious issue that often results in unnecessary fatalities. We should allow such determinations to be made by law enforcement."