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CBS13 Investigation Into How CHP Responds To 911 DUI Calls Prompts Changes

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — On Thursday night, CBS13 brought you this story: CBS13 Investigates: How CHP Handles 911 Calls Reporting A Suspected DUI on the low rate of 911 DUI calls California Highway Patrol responds to.

Tonight, we asked Mothers Against Drunk Drivers to review our findings, and MADD is responding to the CHP's lack of response, the changes CHP is now making, and proposed legislation.

Rhonda Campbell, with Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, says the video evidence is pretty clear.

While she believes CHP is doing the best it can, Rhonda points out if this driver was impaired, it likely wasn't the first time.

According to MADD, statistics show a drunk driver will drive impaired 80 times before ever being caught.

MADD is now backing new legislation that would require every first-time offender to blow into an ignition interlock device in order to start their car.

"We know that works, that's a great line of defense," says Campbell. "And if something like that had been in place, maybe she wouldn't have been on the road at all."

In the meantime, she's urging people to keep calling to report drunk drivers.

And CHP Officer Mike Harris says they're making changes so this doesn't happen again.

"We would not be as successful of a department if we weren't able to identify where we messed up and grow from that," says Harris.

Prompted by our investigation, CHP has implemented new procedures for tracking and responding to follow up calls.

To watch the CBS13 investigation that prompted these changes, click here.

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