South Carolina Moves to Stiffen Penalties for Repeat Drunk Drivers

Several states such as South Carolina, which is trying to pass a tougher drunk driving bill, are attempting to crack down on repeat offenders this year. "We're seeing a lot more interest in state legislatures in improving their state laws," said Nicole Nason, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). "Often what happens is you have a very public, very tragic crash. That gets people talking and gets the phones ringing in the state legislators' offices." The South Carolina bill contains stiffer penalties depending on the driver’s blood-alcohol content and previous convictions. MADD’s CEO Chuck Hurley said the state also should consider requiring wider use of alcohol ignition interlocks. NHTSA and the auto industry are working on a five-year, $10 million project that could put interlocks in every new vehicle. Critics say people don’t want interlocks as standard equipment. Wisconsin recently passed a law that imposes tougher penalties on drunk drivers with at least seven prior convictions.

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