Enough's enough.Virginia has passed a package of drunk driving bills that makes the state's laws among the toughest and most comprehensive in the nation. More than 20 bills were signed into law as the Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Drugs Omnibus Bill. The new laws take aim at repeat offenders. Drivers convicted of a second drunk driving offense within five years face a mandatory 20-day jail term. A third offense gets them six months and possible revocation of their driver's licenses. Repeat offenders who refuse alcohol tests will be charged with a misdemeanor and given extended administrative license suspensions. Particularly innovative, under a new "zero tolerance The policy of applying laws or penalties to even minor infringements of a code in order to reinforce its overall importance and enhance deterrence. Since the 1980s the phrase zero tolerance has signified a philosophy toward illegal conduct that favors strict imposition of " standard, repeat offenders who are driving on a restricted license will lose it for a year if they are arrested with a blood alcohol content Blood alcohol content (BAC) or blood alcohol concentration is the concentration of alcohol in blood. It is usually measured as mass per volume. For example, a BAC of 0.02% means 0.02 grams of alcohol per 100 grams of individual's blood, or 0. (BAC BAC abbr. blood alcohol concentration ) over .02. Bail and plea bargaining plea bargaining, negotiation in which a defendant agrees to plead guilty to a criminal charge in exchange for concessions by the prosecutor (representing the state). are restricted for repeat offenders. Drivers with three or more drunk driving convictions within 10 years can even lose their cars under a new vehicle forfeiture law. The new laws also address the problem of extremely drunk drivers. Virginia's high BAC threshold was lowered from .20 to .15, with a five-day increase in mandatory jail time. Even harsher penalties face drivers a BAC in excess of .20, with 10 days tacked onto their sentences. The new high BAC laws apply to both first-time and repeat offenders. Law enforcement officers have been given the authority to arrest suspected drunk drivers without a warrant if they may have caused an accident. Each drunk driving arrest will be entered into the Central Records Exchange, creating a real-time database of drunk drivers. Police plan to step up their use of sobriety check lanes, and a media campaign under way to educate the public. Drunk drivers also will be held financially responsible for their actions. They will be charged for the costs of emergency services emergency services Emergency care '…services …necessary to prevent death or serious impairment of health and, because of the danger to life or health, require the use of the most accessible hospital available and equipped to furnish those services' needed to respond to accidents they've caused and be fined an additional $50, which will go to the newly created Trauma Center trauma center n. A medical facility that is designated to treat severe physical trauma as a result of the specialized training of its staff and the availability of appropriate diagnostic and treatment tools. Fund defray de·fray tr.v. de·frayed, de·fray·ing, de·frays To undertake the payment of (costs or expenses); pay. [French défrayer, from Old French desfrayer : des-, the costs of providing emergency medical care for victims of drunk driving. Virginia ranks 19th in the nation for alcohol-related traffic fatalities, according to figures released in August by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, often pronounced "nit-suh") is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government, part of the Department of Transportation. . In 2003, 364 Virginians lost their lives in drunk driving accidents and 39 percent of all crashes in Virginia last year involved alcohol. For more details visit www.dmv.State.va.us/webdoc/general/news/news.asp?id=4401 |
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