DUI Laws in D.C. Need to Be Stricter

In Washington D.C., there has been a disturbing increase in fatalities caused by drunk drivers. The NHTSA recently found that the rate of alcohol-related deaths went down last year in the rest of the U.S., but in D.C they increased by 33%.

It was also found that the district also only has 18 offenders taking part in the interlock program, though 1,258 DUI arrests were made last year (Maryland assigned 16,000 offenders to participate in the interlock program and Virginia had over 7,000 participants). When interlocks like Alcolock devices are installed in cars, drivers that have been arrested for a DUI previously are forced to be sober when they operate their vehicle.

This is shocking and alarming. More folks in D.C. actually played in the 2018 Stanley Cup Championship than the number of those utilizing the tool that has been found to lower intoxicated driving recidivism by 64%. Fortunately, D.C. has adopted increased traffic safety legislation, but the attention given to implementing successful ways to prevent impaired driving is lacking.

Another appalling fact is that only four states in total (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Maine) have not implemented any felony charge that considers prior DUI arrests. In D.C., a felony DUI doesn’t exist.

D.C. must evaluate the current efforts instated to more effectively fight drunk driving. As testified by the National Transportation Safety Board, reviews of the task force has the potential to be a successful way to increase public education, judicial, administrative, and legislative recommendations for DUI training and treatment.

An increasing death rate is highly upsetting, and citizens should step up to voice their concerns. Other than the legal issues, driving while intoxicated is a danger to the driver and everyone on the street. Under other state laws, the following factors might be considered when increasing a misdemeanor to a felony DUI:

• Bodily harm
• Driving with a suspended license or the infringement of other laws
• High blood alcohol content (BAC)

• Intoxicated driving with minors in the car
• Prior convictions for alcohol-related offenses

The issue is that currently, all DUI arrests are considered misdemeanors in D.C. Other states seriously consider the number of past DUI arrests and how long the time period was in which these occurred. Even so, a judge could determine that an appropriate length of time has gone by and will use their discretion as necessary in the sentencing process.

A prior DUI is any DUI arrest that occurred within America. If someone received a prior DUI that's more than 10 years old, it is still valid for consideration in the majority of states. That is, besides in the District, and in every state besides Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Maine.

If D.C. and the other four states that are behind in this regard can also implement these measures, the roads could be at least a little bit safer. Since the intention of traffic laws is to keep people safer, why are they not being enforced more strictly?