Articles

Legislature to Consider Three Strikes Rule For Drivers Convicted of DUI

How many drunken driving convictions is too many? If California Assemblyman Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, has his way, three could lead to permanent loss of license. Under current California law, judges may only revoke the licenses of drunk drivers after someone has been injured or killed. Hill's proposed legislation would expand judicial authority to let a judge take action against convicted drunk drivers after three convictions regardless of whether they injured or killed anyone.

Despite a clamp down on drunken driving over the past decades, driving under the influence remains a significant national problem and a problem for California as well. KTVU cited figures from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicating 1.5 million arrests annually in the United States for driving under the influence, with one-third of them being repeat offenders. In California, at least 34, 000 people have been convicted of three or more drunken driving convictions according to Hill.

While Hill's proposed bill, AB 1601, pursues a laudable goal of reducing the number of drunken drivers on the road, its outright ban on driving for repeat DUI offenders may not be as effective as other measures that the California Assembly could choose to implement.

While license revocation will stop some revoked drivers from driving, many drivers may still drive illegally after a license revocation to continue to work, attend school or for trips involving their children. Even worse, without treatment for chemical dependency, these drivers may continue to drive while impaired.

Along with increased need for chemical dependency treatment after multiple DUI convictions, some states have chosen other more tailored measures such as ignition interlock devices installed on the driver's primary vehicle to more effectively target drunken driving. These devices prevent a vehicle from starting if the devices sensors detect alcohol in the breath of the driver. Increased education and prevention efforts for younger drivers about the hazards and consequences of drunken driving may also turn the tide of this dangerous societal trend.