Amber Withers | Dall Times

New Yorkers who choose to drink and drive with children in their vehicles will now face stricter penalties, thanks to a new law signed Wednesday by Gov. David Paterson.

Leandra's Law, originally proposed by Paterson in August as the Child Passenger Protection Act, makes it a felony for individuals to drive while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs with a child passenger.

"When I introduced the Child Passenger Protection Act - now known as Leandra's Law - it was because too often, drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs choose to compromise not only their own lives, but also the lives of our children. Today, we say 'enough,'" Paterson said.

The law is named after 11-year-old Leandra Rosado, who was killed in an October drunk driving accident. "Today is a glorious day," said Lenny Rosado, Leandra's father, Wednesday.

According to Paterson, in 2007, there were 9,480 accidents related to driver intoxication in New York, 344 of which resulted in deaths. Nearly 200 of those killed or injured were younger than 14 years old.

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