Members of the Michigan House of Representatives made the right decision when they voted in favor of three bills cracking down on drunken driving. The bills, which passed with heavy bipartisan support, aim at punishing repeat offenders and heavily intoxicated motorists.
Drunken drivers convicted of a second offense would be required to install an ignition interlock device in their cars, which requires a driver to blow into a Breathalyzer before starting the car.
The device is connected to the car’s ignition, and if it detects a blood-alcohol content, or BAC, over a pre-set limit, usually about 0.02 percent, the car will not start.
This bill provides an alternative to the current law, which can revoke a driver’s license for up to seven years and is a great way to make sure repeat offenders aren’t drinking, while still allowing them to get around.
Fortunately, it passed unanimously.
The interlock device is a good idea, as long as the offender — and not Michigan taxpayers — pays for it.
If a person cannot afford the interlock device or doesn’t want to pay for it, he or she should have the choice to lose his or her driver’s license for a set period of time instead.
The other bills designate drunken driving violations as “high BAC” when a motorist registers a 0.15 percent BAC or higher. Such offenses mandate alcohol treatment for those convicted.
These bills received more than 85 percent support from representatives. If they pass in the Senate, Michigan will become one of the last states to enact “high BAC” guidelines.
Although the Michigan Restaurant Association opposes the legislation, saying 0.15 percent is too low to punish people for a “high BAC,” the bill is correct in its zero-tolerance approach. The legal limit in Michigan is 0.08, and anyone driving with a BAC almost twice the legal limit should be strictly punished.
While many courts already require alcohol classes and other such treatment for alcohol-related convictions, the state is correct in mandating treatment.
Too often, people simply get punished for criminal convictions in the U.S., be it with heavy fines, lost privileges or jail time, without ever getting the help they may need to overcome the problems that led to their conviction.
Sure, someone caught driving drunk more than once should be punished harshly.
However, repeat offenders also should get the support they need to start making better decisions in their lives. While punishment is necessary, recuperation is just as important to proactively solve this problem.
Driving drunk is dangerous to both the offender and everyone else on the road. Unfortunately, DUIs are one of the most common criminal convictions in the country.
The House showed its intolerance for drunken driving with its overwhelming support for these bills, and the Senate should follow suit by quickly passing all three.
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