New Drunk Driving Laws in Wisconsin

Wisconsin has the highest rate of drunk driving in the nation, and a survey in 2009 found that about 26% of Wisconsin adults admitted to driving while intoxicated during the course of that year. Now, there are 6 Senate Bills regarding penalties to OWI’s (Operating While Intoxicated) in Wisconsin that were introduced on March 4^th. Among those is Senate Bill #58, which increases the penalties for the first and second offences. I believe that, in making the consequences of drunk driving stronger, there will be a decrease in incidents. 

 

Currently, a first time offender will be fined between $150 and $300 and second time offender will be fined between $350 to $1,100, depending on the severity of the crime. Senate Bill #58 proposes a higher fine for both of these offences; raising a first time offender to a fine of $350 to $1,100. This extreme price increase will hopefully do wonders on the rate of death in the state of Wisconsin. Senate Bill #60 will also increase the penalties for a third (or more) offense. 

Among the other Bill’s proposed was Bill #57, which would make people who receive a ticket for OWI have to make a court appearance rather than just paying the fine straight up; Senate Bill #61 will allow the state to seize the intoxicated driver’s car if it is his third offense; Bill #56 would require a minimum sentence for persons injured by a driver who was driving while intoxicated, and Bill #59 would create a mandatory sentence of 10 years should a pedestrian be killed by a person who was OWI. All of these laws make sense to me, and the fact that we were so lenient on OWI’s before would explain the high amount of deaths in Wisconsin. All of this begs the question—is it right to punish drunk drivers this harshly, even if it’s their first offense? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7psNpzU4_k

This lawyer, Andrew Mishlove, believes that people who have drunk driving tickets are often times “good people” and that a ticket like that can “ruin their [lives]”. When this video was taken, the Bills had not been proposed. Getting an OWI in Wisconsin before, as a first offense, meant that it was not criminal and the driver got off free. Mr. Mishlove explains that a second and third offense would stay on your record.  I have a hard time believing that people who drive while intoxicated are completely innocent—especially when they’ve made the same mistake before. Wisconsin is becoming more serious about drunk driving and how punishable the offenses really are. These changes will hopefully improve the safety of Wisconsin people and will get drunk drivers off the road.

http://legis.wisconsin.gov/spotlight/index.htm

http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/safety/motorist/drunkdriving/index.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cZzNIANtb8