One mistake could change a McDonough driver's life. Drunk driving can certainly cause some problems in Henry County and across Georgia, but just because someone has been convicted of one DUI doesn't mean that he or she should be punished for the rest of his or her life, at least that's what one Georgia politician believes. According to the representative, one conviction does not indicate that the person will continue to drink and drive.

Because a DUI conviction can stay on your record well after you have served your punishment, acknowledged your responsibility and moved on, the Georgia lawmaker has recently proposed a bill that would allow someone who is convicted of drunk driving to clear his or her record after five years. The state representative has said that current legislation doesn't allow for a judge to take into account the actual circumstances surrounding the charge and sentence accordingly. This bill would provide judges with a little more discretion.

Another representative has come out in support of the bill, saying that while each DUI accident is a tragedy, a single mistake should not be punished for the rest of a driver's life. The representative clarified that the bill would not apply to drivers who continued to drink and drive after a first conviction.

Not everyone that drinks and drives is a raging alcoholic that is so drunk that he or she can barely stand, driving at high speeds and swerving all over. Sometimes someone simply had one too many drinks and thought they were safe to drive. For a driver who made a small mistake by choosing to drive while under the influence of alcohol, he or she should not have to live with that mistake forever.

Source: CBS Atlanta, "DUI bill calls for clean record after 5 years," Craig Bell, Jan. 26, 2012