This story didn’t get as much attention as it should have when it came out last week, so I think it’s worth revisiting. Chronic DWI offenders could lose their licenses FOREVER under new Dept. of Motor Vehicle rules announced last week by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
My Gannett colleague, Jessica Bakeman, wrote about the new regulations. Here are the highlights:
- “Drivers who have committed five or more alcohol- or drug-related offenses in a lifetime would now lose their license forever. Current law only removes their licenses for five years after a certain number of offenses during various time periods.”
- “Drivers with three or more alcohol-related offenses plus one other serious traffic violation—such as causing a fatal crash or accumulating 20 license points—during 25 years would permanently lose their licenses.”
- “Offenders with at least three alcohol- or drug-related offenses but no other serious traffic violations would lose their licenses for an additional two or five years beyond the original revocation period, depending on circumstances. When their licenses are restored, offenders would only be allowed to drive to and from work, school and medical appointments for five years. During that time, they must also use an ignition-interlock device, which would block the car from starting if drivers fail a breathalyzer test.”
- “The new regulations would not allow repeated drunk drivers to get their licenses back sooner by completing the DMV’s Drunk Driver Program, as is currently possible.”
What’s your take on these new rules? Tough or not tough enough? Get the conversation started in the comment section below.
(People view images on a screen of accident vehicles, during a Victims Impact Panel at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, July 23, 2009. It’s a meeting that motorists are required to attend if they have been convicted of Driving While Intoxicated and want to get their licenses back. (Mark Vergari / The Journal News )
11 Comments
Not strict enough to discourage people who drive drunk or on drugs routinely without a care in the world for any other person’s safety or well being.
Its unfortunate that the law makers are still making the wrong decisions here. Removing a drivers license for Life only removes the persons ability to earn a living, and provide for his/her family. If someone has a drinking problem which if they have 5 DWI’s may be the case, they should have to edure going to treatment. Treatment can be penalty enough, it is time consuming and expensive. Keep in mind the DMV fee’s associated with a DWI is in the thousands along with attorney fee’s. DWI’should not be taken lightly, in some cases they result in death. I feel for those who have lost due to such a tragedy. At the same time, cops are arresting people for DWI’s like giving out parking tickets. It seems to be a big money maker now of days. If the rules on DWI’s are going to be so strict, the determinent of who is actually been drinking should be modified
I dont think any of that will stop dwi, and I kinda agree with the comment from AL, saying to ban that person for life will ony stop that person from working, then they will live off the system. I know someone that has that ignition-interlock device, (blow device) in the car…first off, it was that persons only dui, and that blow deviceis horrible….it i a SAFETY HAZZARD…you have to blow and humm and get it right before the car starts, then as you drive it randomly beeps that you have to blow and humm WHILE you are driving, and if you dont get it right in under 4 min. you have to pay a fine…the video on it shows the person pulling over to blow as it goes off while you are driving, that is insane, since it seems to beep about every 20 min…at first its every 5 min, then it goes longer…I have tried the device and it is freakin hard to do, I am all for stopping dwi, and saving people’s lives but the stricter punishments are not going to help, and that blow thing should be revamped. I dont see why it goes of constantly while you are driving.
Hi all,
Thanks for your thoughtful comments. Would any of you be willing to share your thoughts for a story on this topic? If you are, please email me at tjuva@lohud.com with your name and a phone number where you can be reached.
Thanks!
Theresa
Useless. People who have that many offenses obviously don’t care about the law. You are just going to get more people driving around without licenses.
The DWI laws are so strict now that most of the people I know under 30 have at least one DWI. Many have two. Only one has been in any kind of accident, yet each of them has had significant costs (attorney $1000-10,000 or more, loss of work $$$$, increased car insurance for 3-5 years 50-75% higher premiums, alcohol evaluation $175 minimum, alcohol treatment if recommended $125 each visit, $750 NYS DMV surcharge for their license, ignition interlock $300 plus monthly fees) in addition to the penalties of jail and/or probation and those inconveniences and costs. This is not about getting drunk drivers off the road—it’s about money. I’ve never gotten a DWI, nor lost anyone to a drunk driver. I am so sorry that some people are killed by drunk drivers. However, someone who has had one drink IS NOT INTOXICATED and should not suffer those same penalties as if they were. DWI laws paint with a very wide brush, although not every person who has a DWI has a drinking problem.
Sorry N, but I’ve known too many people that have died to drunk drivers… they were never drunk themselves, but that didn’t help them much. If you get into a car after drinking more than you should have, then you should pay… fines, points, crazy insurance charges and jailtime. We hear about individuals being arrested for the 20th time!! That is just insane, that person should just be away.
I was 45 years old before I knew someone personally with a DWI, so it might be the company you are keeping.
I think the laws need to be even stricter… how does someone that kills someone get 4 years or 2 or even probation??? Make it a Jailable offense, it’s murder. They drank, they got in their cars knowing they drank too much and they killed someone…this should be an automatic jail sentence. It doesn’t bring back the murdered family member, but it helps to know that that person isn’t back on the road, even if for just a little while.
And another thing… 5??? Is he kidding? Who decided that you could be out there threatening our lives 4 times but 5 would take away your license? Forget that… it should be jail time. If someone came at me with a knife, threatening to take my life, they’d go to jail… why is it different when they do it with a 2000 lb. vehicle?
Lets start out I could write for an hour on how this is all wrong but I’ll try to keep it short. First off I did not see an mention of help for the alcoholics that this is all about in the first place. So this takes away every chance they have of rebuilding their lives so I believe it will cause more serious consequences in the long run. I myself believe I fall into this category of drivers losing their license indefinitely. I have 3 dwis that I was convicted of because they gave me a good plea and hopes of getting my license back someday. Now 3 may sound like a big number to some but who did I put in danger besides myself in my second 2. I take full responsibility for my first one. The second one I got hurt on a mini bike out in front of my apartment and they gave me a dwi for riding it. To me this was the biggest personal hit ever and I still have trouble taking the law seriously to this day. NYS put me in jail for 6 months for this and it was my first felony so say bye to my license and a good job in the future and also denied me from going to mmi for school. Also with a term of 5 years felony probation. Well I was riding it because I lost my job and License so I was at home getting drunk because there wasen’t much else I cared to do with that addiction. Now for my 3rd dwi I was putting my truck in my driveway one night from parked around the corner from my house. I refused to blow because I was told to do that by my lawyer even tho I couldn’t have possibly been above the limit from not drinking within the 3 hours before. An officer was at my house talking to my roommate when I pulled it around the corner. Again I pleed out due to the fact If you fight them you can face serious time and they will always deal to get money from you instead of waist it on you. So now that I have been sober for a year on my own and I have been through treatment and i’m an avid member of aa they now tell me all my options of moving my life forward are gone. What happens to people who change? Are they saying give up on yourself and get drunk cause you can’t drive now so its all better? No its going to make people drive regardless. I believe it will make things worse for everyone as a whole the economy of NYS because this will take a lot of licenses over petty tickets because of a review of peoples past. So basically their encouraging alcoholics not to change because they won’t have options in their future. More people will get drunk because of these laws and thats what drove the people to drive drunk in the first place. I never once was sober and thought well i’m gonna go drive drunk today lets go drink. NO its the alcohol that pushes the person to make bad choices, So fix the drinker not the laws against them. The alcohol is making the choice for them regardless so maybe you should start putting the alcohol in jail or your only going to end up with worse results and NYS with more money. There is a line to be drawn I believe but they just crossed it and are punishing people for their past now. Everything we learn about change is gone. They just promoted people to give up on their dreams because of there past and took all of their successful changes up to this point out of their life. [Obama “Change we can believe in”] Obviously not change for or of people in this country just for the control and money.
I managed, rather stupidly, to get 3 dui’s, 12 or 13 years ago when my husbandwas dying of cancer and both my parents had Alzheimer’s. It cost alot of money,I lost my PHD, noone cared that my Doctor had given me antidepressants that renderedme very crazy and reckless.No one cared that I only had a bac. of.07,I was like an automatic alchoholic,basicly because I got caught.So I read the AA book and I didn’t fit. The real truth is that even a moderate drinker can go down under these laws. So ten years goes by and in 2,010 I am in a lot of stress moving,and chasing my plumer who just ripped me off and I wind up in a bar about 4 blocks from my house.To make a long story short,I give smeone a ride and end up with a DWI of .08.After a long and crazy busines with Nassau County and DMV. I am forced to sell my house for much less than it’s worth and end up way out in the country,don’t you worry completely sober, in a much smaller house, no job, waiting for my lic ense. And waiting. While DMV plays an elaborate game holding my license so that they can retroactivly sentence me.Though they pretend I will have a chance in 2016, I can see I won’t. I’ve already been in a fire here, and I would have died and my house burn to the ground if I was alone. My son drove for help. I know sooner or later something else bad will happen,so now I have to sell again and move to a near by city,which I hate, (ah the bars and the nitelife) and live in dire poverty for the rest of my life. I am deeply depressed and somewhat suicidal, Im three miles from the nearest bus,65, and getting arthritis. I don’t speak to another humanbeing except mydaughter for months on end. I’m on food stamps etc. I really feel that I did everything to be a better person and now I’m getting murdered for it. I don’t get at all how a very low amount of alchohol is equated with a large one. Or how they can change the sentence and apply it to offences committed before the change. I mean why not just round up everyone who drinks and put the m in a concentration camp. I could have really contributed to this societyand now I can’t and I’m not sure I care. The society is punishing me for overpopulation and for drinking the beverages they sell and advertise. I mean think about it.
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