Drunk driving laws may change
By Emily Baldauf
Senior
Writer
New state legislation being introduced this winter
could bring much tougher consequences to drunk driving offenders.
State Sen. Mike Young (R-Speedway) announced earlier
this month that he plans to introduce a new bill that would increase
mandatory jail time sentences and requires lifetime license suspensions
for some offenses.
"The whole idea of this is to save lives,"
Young said. "Hopefully this will send a strong message."
The new legislation particularly cracks down on
repeat offenders, who, according to studies done by the National Highway
Safety Administration, total about one-third of all drivers arrested
for operating while intoxicated.
Under the new bill, persons convicted of drunk
driving three times, or persons convicted of killing someone in a drunk
driving accident, would receive a lifetime license suspension.
Young’s bill would also increase mandatory
jail time for certain drunk-driving offenses such as driving with a
blood-alcohol content above .15. Punishing those with such high blood
alcohol levels particularly interests Young because according to National
Highway Safety Administration findings, drivers with a blood alcohol
content of .15 or higher account for 65 percent of all drunk-driving
deaths.
The bill would also increase the penalties for
those persons who drive intoxicated with a child in the car.
"We have to protect the lives of the innocent children
who don't have a say," Young said.
Under current Indiana law, operating while intoxicated
is a Class A misdemeanor that is punishable by a term of imprisonment
not to exceed one year and/or a fine of up to $5,000.
The new legislation would make driving while intoxicated
with a minor in the car a Class D felony. Under Indiana law, a Class
D felony can be punished by a fine up to $10,000 and/or a sentence of
1.5 years or more. Along with possible fines and jail time, a person
convicted of a felony may not hold certain professional licenses such
as a teaching license.
Although Young sponsored similar legislation in
2000 and 2001 that failed, he is still optimistic about this new bill.
"Sometimes these things take time to get through,"
he said. "This year I think we will be able to get it through both
houses. This is a bill that will really go after our problems on our
highways."
Although most legislators and officials agree that
drunk driving is still a big problem for the state, many local officials
are unsure of this bill.
Local representative Shelia Klinker, D-27th, commented
that the bill sounds good initially, but upon further analysis, it seems
too harsh. She gave the example that if a young person made some errors
and then became a better citizen they would have no way to redeem themselves
if their license was suspended for life.
"I think the bill is a little harsh as it
is," said Klinker. "I do think we need to do something with
drunk driving, but I’m not sure about this law. You have to be
careful when you take something away for life because then the person
doesn’t have a chance to rehabilitate."
Purdue Police Capt. Ronald Fosnaugh also has some
reservations on the new bill. Although he said he would support any
bill that attempted to prevent drunk driving fatalities, he is unsure
of the effect such legistlation would have on drunk drivers.
"The problem is that a lot of people who drink
and drive don’t have licenses anyway because they have already
been suspended," he said. "The spirit of the law is good,
but the only way for it to be effective is with the compliance of the
people and the administrators of the law."
Young plans to introduce the new bill to the state
senate sometime during this winter's legislative session. He said that
if it is passed by both houses and is signed by the governor, the law
could take effect as early as July 1.
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