I recently read an article that about drunk driving the article stated that Michigan will join a growing list of states that have enacted "super drunk" driving laws -- a new designation with stiffer penalties and fines, even for first offenses.
Currently if a driver's blood-alcohol level is .08, they are legally drunk. Starting Oct. 31, if that blood-alcohol level is .17, the driver is twice the legal limit and becomes legally "super drunk."
The fines will be doubled, even for first-time offenders. Instead of 93 possible days in jail, the penalty jumps to 180 days in jail.
Fines go up from $200 to $500 all the way up to $8,000, and instead of a six-month license suspension, the "super drunk" driver could face a year suspension. The caveat is that after 45 days, it's possible for a "super drunk" driver to get a severely restricted license that includes paying for and installing an ignition interlock system. The device measures blood-alcohol levels and won't allow the car to start if the driver is legally drunk. However, the system can give a false positive with certain mouthwashes and gums and if someone has just had a single glass of wine. But those alcohol levels are considered surface alcohol and will dissipate within a minute.
Having drunk drivers that have had several run INS with the law about drunk driving should have to pay fines with suspended license. Even for first time offenders because, if a person drives drunk once they will think that they can drive dunk again, again, again and again. They take the risk in harming innocent people and their families so they can pay the price for driving drunk. Last year in Roseville when a woman had been drinking and was very intoxicated she still got behind the wheel of her car and drove.
The results of her driving drunk was she hit a car that had four high school teen in it, they were killed instantly and Never knowing that their life would be taken away from them on the way back from getting a pizza. It was said that earlier in the day police were call out to a resident were she had been in an altercation because of her being very intoxicated. If the police would have arrested her or even made sure she was not driving this could have been prevented. Now she has to spend the rest of her life in jail.
Also, even first time drunk drivers should be given the ignition interlock system for their car. It should stay on their car for a year. Maybe they would think twice about driving drunk after paying all those fines, having their license suspended for a year and serving jail time.
