That included members of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, law enforcement officials and public safety representatives. The DWI panel included lawmakers to law enforcers to victims.

"It's the only crime that we let people do it and then we give them their weapon back," said Mothers Against Drunk Driving spokesman Michael Boland.

The panel talked a lot about how to improve current and future DWI laws.

"We want to reduce the number of individuals who drive impaired, and in order to do that, we need to enhance law enforcement, we need more prosecution," said retired Cooper County judge Kenton Askren.

Governor Nixon says the state has made strides in making roads safer, but there are some big problems that still remain.

"This is not just a law enforcement issue," the Governor said.  "Basic driver information is not making it through the system in an efficient and effective way."

Askren says this problem could be solved by receiving more revenue and information. 

The panel brought up one point several times, citing it as the biggest problem with DWI's.  Panel members were upset with the way DWI's are getting reported in the system.

Boland said there are people who are listed in the system with only one offense when they really have four.

"We assume that a first time offender could be a first time offender but then it's not," said Boland.

Boland said the state is improving its system little by little, but the only way to solve this is by having a comprehensive approach to the problem.

Panel members further discussed goals for improving drunk driving legislation and closing gaps in Missouri's system. They want to identify and prosecute repeat DWI offenders. Nixon said drunk driving is a complicated issue that spans jurisdictions and municipalities. He said these complications make communication and consistency across the state in dealing with and keeping track of offenders difficult.

Nixon said other factors such as mental illness, addiction and social behavior contribute to the complex issue of drunk driving legislation. The Governor said these obstacles should not inhibit legislation from progressing. He said the complexities and far-reaching effects of drunk driving should motivate lawmakers to continue assessing current laws and consider new ones.

"It's a problem that knows no demographic boundaries," Nixon said.

He said all Missourians are impacted by drunk driving legislation. The governor said he hopes the summit will help lead to passage of legislation in the upcoming general assembly, and that the legislation will identify repeat DWI offenders and keep them off the roads. Nixon said there were 7,373 alcohol-related accidents last year, which led to 262 deaths.