It’s unbelievable. In light of all of the public campaigns against drunken driving, people are still arrested each and every week for driving while intoxicated. Factor in an accident, and you raise the possibility of death and serious injury to innocent victims of drunken drivers. Recent arrests of celebrities for drunken driving highlight the dangers posed by those who get behind the wheel after a few drinks.

Ending the danger of drunken driving motivated the state senate this year to crack down on drunken drivers by increasing the penalties for DWI offenders with extremely high blood alcohol content (BAC), ensuring that repeat DWI offenders are kept off the road, and increasing the penalties for drunken drivers who kill others.

The DWI legislation, S.8232, would:

• Toughen penalties for high BAC offenders – Creates the crime of aggravated DWI for drunken drivers with a blood alcohol content of .18 or higher who operate motor vehicles, punishable by up to 1 year in jail and/or a fine of $1,000-$2,500; increases penalties for offenders convicted of aggravated DWI; requires aggravated DWI offenders to have an ignition interlock system installed on their vehicle while on probation.

• Keep repeat drunken drivers off from our roads – Extends the driver license revocation period for repeat DWI offenders and drivers who refuse chemical tests; permanently revokes the licenses of anyone who has a combination of 3 or more DWI convictions or chemical test refusals within a four year period. Offenders with a combination of 4 or more DWI convictions or chemical test refusals within an 8 year period would also have their licenses permanently revoked; individuals who are caught driving with a permanently revoked drivers license would face felony charges.

• Increase penalties for drunken drivers who kill – Adds four new factors which would increase the penalties for vehicular manslaughter: the crash caused the death of two or more persons other than the defendant; the defendant has 2 or more DWI convictions within the last 5 years, or 3 or more convictions within the last 10 years; the defendant has previously been convicted of a homicide offense caused by driving; or the defendant is guilty of aggravated DWI.