Partner Steven Benvenisti Advocates for Landmark HALT Drunk Driving Law in Washington, D.C.

Steven Benvenisti, Esq., a Partner at Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for the full implementation of the HALT (Honoring Abbas Family Legacy to Terminate Drunk Driving Act). Passed in 2021, the HALT Act directs automakers to install passive, non-invasive alcohol detection technology in all new vehicles, with the goal of eliminating drunk driving fatalities nationwide.

For Benvenisti, this issue is far more than professional; it’s personal. When he was a senior in college, he was struck by a drunk driver on his spring break. The crash left him with catastrophic injuries, including two broken legs and a traumatic brain injury so severe that doctors believed he would not survive. After 15 surgeries and months of rehabilitation, he made a full recovery.

He went on to graduate from The College of New Jersey with high honors, graduate from law school at the top portion of his class, pass the bar exams in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and build a career in the personal injury law field as an attorney dedicated to representing victims and advocating for drunk driving prevention. Today he is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial attorney, a distinction held by less than 2% percent of New Jersey’s practicing lawyers.

 During his trip to Washington, Benvenisti led other advocates and survivors in meeting with lawmakers and policymakers to highlight the importance of fully implementing the HALT Act. The act calls for technology such as the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS). This system includes sensors capable of measuring alcohol in a driver’s breath, analyzing eye movements, and detecting alcohol levels through touch, without requiring a traditional breathalyzer. The goal is to stop impaired drivers from operating a vehicle before a crash can occur and lives are lost.

This is not his first time advocating for prevention under the law. Years ago, he testified in Trenton multiple times to get New Jersey to join other states in requiring everyone convicted of drunk driving to be required to get an Ignition Interlock in their car as a precondition to driving again. In 2021, New Jersey passed legislation mandating this lifesaving technology.

Now in 2025, the DADSS technology has been fully developed, and Benvenisti is joining the charge to ensure that the HALT Act is fully enforced at the national level.

As a MADD National Ambassador, one of the highest leadership roles in the organization, he has become a powerful voice in the fight to implement this groundbreaking law across the country. During his trip to Washington, D.C., along with meeting with lawmakers, he delivered a speech on the urgent need for action, sharing both his personal experience and the devastating impact of impaired driving on families nationwide.

On the topic of the effects of the HALT Law, Benvenisti said:

“Every loss is extraordinary. Every story is paralyzing. The number of people affected by these tragedies continues to grow. But we know this is preventable. We already see the impact: in New Jersey, where an average of 15,000 impaired drivers were stopped in prior years, that number has now grown to over 32,000. That means more impaired drivers are being detected before tragedy strikes. That is prevention in action.”

Currently, drunk driving remains one of the nation’s most preventable causes of death. More than 10,000 people lose their lives each year in crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers. Advocates believe that once fully adopted, the HALT Act could save more than 10,000 lives annually.

This event reflects Benvenisti’s long-standing commitment to use his story to inspire real change. As both a survivor and an attorney, he has spent decades speaking to schools, communities, and professional audiences about the dangers of drunk and impaired driving. His message is clear: the number of drunk driving deaths should not be in the thousands – it should be zero, and the HALT Act represents a major step toward achieving that vision. For advocates like Benvenisti, the law is not only about policy but also about protecting families from the grief and trauma that come with every preventable crash.

He stated, “This technology is going to save 10,000 lives we lose every year to drunk and impaired driving. It must be implemented as soon as possible, because every day we wait, people are needlessly dying.”

As a Partner at Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., Benvenisti continues to balance his legal work with national advocacy to help create meaningful reform and to support people injured by careless tragedies every day. By supporting the HALT Act, he and other advocates hope to use technology as a tool to save lives and ensure safer roads for everyone.

Read Steven’s Story Today

To read Steven’s story, “Spring Break, a True Story of Hope and Determination”(2012), it is available through Amazon or directly to families in need of comfort and motivation by calling him on his cell phone (201) 500-LAWS.

Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C. offers free consultations and second opinions, and has offices throughout New Jersey and New York City. Clients seeking experienced personal injury lawyers in Teaneck, NJ, or the surrounding Bergen County and Essex County areas can contact us at 1-800-LAW-2000 or via email at info@dsslaw.com.