ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.  — The decision to get behind the wheel while impaired can turn out devastating and advocates hope new safety recommendations could solve the problem.

“That was the last picture. That was hours before she was killed,” said Linda Unfried.

Thirty-eight years ago, Unfried’s sister, Josie, was hit and killed by a drunk driver.

“I miss her so much because I could call her for anything. I could call her; we were as close as twins,” said Unfried, the co-founder of Hillsborough County Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

Now, some people think a push for stronger safety measures in cars could be the solution.

“This measure is going to be life-saving for so many, many people,” said Unfried.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is calling for alcohol impairment detection systems to be included in all new cars, per new recommendations released this week.

The recommended measures include requiring systems that would be capable of preventing or limiting a car from being operated if it detects a driver is impaired by alcohol.

This year across all counties, Florida crash data shows there were more than 3,300 impaired driving crashes involving alcohol only.

“Last year, we did about 675 DUI arrests just in the city,” said Sgt. Michael Schade with the St. Petersburg Police Department traffic section. “We had about 275 crashes related to DUI offenses, so that’s obviously something that’s a significant number, and we’re trending about the same way this year.”

Sgt. Schade said it’s a problem they see every day.

“Don’t underestimate what you’re doing,” said Schade. “It’s a significant issue. It happens fast. You don’t realize it sneaks up on you, and you might think you feel okay, but you’re really not.”

Unfried thinks if this technology had been available 38 years ago, it might’ve made a difference in her sister’s case. Until changes come, she said she’ll keep pushing for action.

“It’s a passion, and I will never stop fighting to save lives,” said Unfried.

Mary O'Connell at WFTS first reported this story.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Inside President Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill is legislation dedicated to keeping drunken people from driving cars. Beginning in 2026, automakers will be required to add sensors to their vehicles that’ll detect drowsiness, distracted driving and whether a driver has been too impaired by alcohol to operate a vehicle safely.

The last item hits home both personally and professionally for Alex Otte. At 24 years old, she’s in her 10th month as president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). She’s 11 years removed from nearly being killed by a drunken boater on Herrington Lake in Kentucky.

“When I was loaded into the helicopter (after the crash), my parents were told to say goodbye because there was no hope of me surviving the ride,” she said.

Otte suffered brain injuries, a broken neck, lacerated liver, leg, and facial fractures. She needed a partial leg amputation, and for ten years, she averaged at least one surgery annually since that boat slammed into her jet ski. Doctors told her she made a miraculous recovery. Thanks to her father, she decided to do something with the opportunity.

“My dad had a conversation with me when I was in the hospital that everything that happened to that point was Sammy Heckler’s choice – the man who ran me over – and that everything that happens now is up to me,” she recalled.

The legislation is something MADD officials have been wanting for years, but Otte will get the credit for helping to pass it through Congress since it happened on her watch.

“I actually had an opportunity to meet with the president and have conversations with him. My last comment to him was, ‘I really hope this won’t be the only presidential bill-signing of my term,'” she explained of her meeting earlier this year with President Joe Biden.

Otte was in Washington for the signing of a bill to extend funding for “VOCA,” the Victims of Crime Act. She said President Biden told her he hoped it wouldn’t be her last bill signing either.

The infrastructure bill could be signed as early as next week. And Otte is hoping to become the first MADD president to witness two bill signings in the White House.

“I’m in Dallas today, and I have more presentations on the road next week, so hopefully, I can be there for it,” she said.

Whether she’s there or spreading the message elsewhere, she will be smiling when President Biden’s pen meets paper.

This story was originally reported by Michael Berk on lex18.com.

CINCINNATI — As part of a larger, nationwide effort to curb impaired driving, a brewing giant, a ride-share company and a seasoned advocacy group launched a new-to-the-region initiative Tuesday.

Anheuser Busch, Uber and Mothers Against Drunk Driving launched "Decide to Ride" in Cincinnati, one of seven test markets for the campaign meant to compel people who have been drinking to ditch their keys and hail a ride home.

"It's really about behavior change," said Colleen Lucas, a vice president with Anheuser Busch, which brews leading beer brands, most notably Budweiser. "Decide to Ride is about planning ahead so that you don't even put yourself in position to make a poor decision later in the night."

To kick off the campaign, the group is offering 10% discounts on Uber rides on weekend nights, starting this Friday and Saturday, between 5 p.m. and 3 a.m.

Uber users can enter the code "DECIDE TO RIDE" when booking their ride to unlock the discount for the next eight weeks.

Other cities included in the initial rollout were Atlanta, Denver, Houston, Phoenix, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.