BOSTON -- As the holiday season gets under way, there is a major effort to wipe out drunken driving in this country.

A new campaign calls for alcohol detection devices in every vehicle.

Newscenter 5's Gail Huff reported that Mothers Against Drunk Driving are pushing for the new initiative. They said current methods don't work and they need to turn to technology to get drunken drivers off the road.

They are announcing a new campaign to change laws in 49 states to require even first-time offenders to have ignition-interlock devices installed in their vehicles. The driver must blow into a Breathalyzer-type device. If alcohol is detected, the car will not start.

In Massachusetts, some drivers are already required to use them under the newly passed Melanie's Law, but those are only serious repeat offenders. MADD wants all first-time offenders to have to use them.

In New Mexico last year, where such a plan was implemented, there was an 11 percent decline in alcohol-related deaths. Statistics show about 13,000 people die every year in drunken driving accidents across the U.S. and 49 percent of all traffic deaths in Massachusetts are alcohol related and research shows the average drunken driver has been intoxicated behind the wheel more than 50 times before being arrested.