State Senate Passes Tougher DUI Laws

[Conan71]

OKLAHOMA CITY — Anyone convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol in Oklahoma would have to install an ignition interlock device on their vehicle for two years under a bill passed by the state Senate and sent to the House.

The Erin Elizabeth Swezey Act passed on a 45-0 vote Tuesday. It's named after a 20-year-old Edmond woman killed by a drunken driver. A second DUI conviction would require the ignition lock for five years and a third would lead to the device being installed for eight years.

The lock includes a device that detects alcohol and the driver must blow into it. If any alcohol is detected — it will not allow the vehicle to start.

Those convicted of DUI would also have the words "interlock required" printed on the driver's license.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=12&articleid=20110315_12_0_OKLAHO816424

[Red Arrow]

Can we do something similar for texting and general cell phone use?

[heironymouspasparagus]

God forbid they would actually be punished for their actions.

Yeah, that's tough.

[patric]

Another successful lobbying effort by the manufacturers of the interlocks and their installers. 
They can pretty much name any price they want, having a captive audience.
Now, there would be those that say if anyone deserves to be gouged, it should be the chronic drunk drivers, but if we enable that sort of rationale, then who's to say where the line will be drawn in the future?

[Red Arrow]

Unfortunately, trying to propose a lesser punishment will sound like one favors drunk driving. 

[heironymouspasparagus]

That's the Oklahoma way.

[patric]

Unfortunately, trying to propose a lesser punishment will sound like one favors drunk driving. 

It seems that DUI has shifted from being a crisis to being an industry.

[Red Arrow]

It seems that DUI has shifted from being a crisis to being an industry.

Probably more like an industry that needed and created a crisis to help itself along.

[YoungTulsan]

What if they get another car?   Drive buddy's car, etc.?

[TURobY]

What if they get another car?   Drive buddy's car, etc.?

They can't do that. They have to have an interlock device installed on any vehicle they drive, including company cars.

[Conan71]

They can't do that. They have to have an interlock device installed on any vehicle they drive, including company cars.

Technically, there's no way to keep them from borrowing another vehicle.  It's illegal as hell for them to do it, but people with multiple DUI's are used to playing the odds on not getting caught.

Just FYI, as if anyone needed more reasons to not get a DUI, I've heard multiple stories about the installers of interlocks screwing up the wiring in people's vehicles and apparently there's no recourse.  The interlock itself is a bad deal, but having damage to your wiring...yeah well just don't drive drunk.  Have a plan folks, your life and the lives of others depend on it.

[Gonesouth1234]

It seems that DUI has shifted from being a crisis to being an industry.

To the effect of what one of my marketing professors said, if there is not a market-create one.

Political translation-never fail to take advantage of a good crisis.

This is a little bit off of the the thread, but still an example. Google the Federal Trade Commission  and Federal Communications Commission re: their rulemaking attempts to oversee the internet  so that we poor sheep can be protected from spammers.

To add a quote from one of my old communist/socialist political science professors:  "If we can control it, we can tax it. If we can tax it, we can control it."

I have no sympathy for anyone convicted of a DUI.  Once worked with a guy who had something like 30 before he was finally hauled before a city judge who allowed him to be a guest of the state  for six months, and then to a half way house to allow him to work and earn enough to live and start paying his fines of something around $30k that were outstanding.

I think he became the poster child for MADD.

[patric]

I agree with your sympathies, and analysis.
The point is, they, like illegal mexicans, etc, are soft targets that become the crash-test dummies for whatever machine the political opportunists want to test drive.

[dbacks fan]

Just FYI, as if anyone needed more reasons to not get a DUI, I've heard multiple stories about the installers of interlocks screwing up the wiring in people's vehicles and apparently there's no recourse.  The interlock itself is a bad deal, but having damage to your wiring...yeah well just don't drive drunk.  Have a plan folks, your life and the lives of others depend on it.

This happened to a friend of mine. The cost of the interlock device for one year:
$500.00 deposit
$300.00 install
$200.00 monthly charge to down load the stored records from the device
$1200.00 for repairs caused by the installer

Total for one year:
$4400.00 not including $1800.00 court fines and costs, and what ever he paid his attorney.

[TURobY]

Don't forget that APC (Actual Physical Control) --people within reasonable distance from their cars while intoxicated or sitting in their car while waiting for a taxi-- carries the same punishments as DUI.