The 2013 Washington Impaired Driving Work Group delivered a 152-page report on Monday of this week. The report suggested that Washington state should continue its fight against drunken driving by increasing penalties and establishing random sobriety checkpoints. The group who wrote the report considered 11 specific ideas for reducing DUIs, ranking them according to overall support and where they should fall on the state’s priority list.
The top three priorities, according to the report, all related to DUI penalties: The work group wanted to increase penalties for drivers who refuse to take a breath or blood tests, strengthen mandatory minimum prison sentences and fines for repeat offenders, and make DUI a felony before the fifth offense; the report noted that Washington is the only state where a DUI becomes a felony on the fifth offense. Interestingly, the most supported of the group’s 11 ideas was the idea to promote and monitor the use of alcohol-sensing ignition interlocks.
We at SQ Attorneys cannot say it enough … Washington state is CRACKING DOWN on DUI’s. Washington state DUI laws are now some of the strictest laws in the nation. Many good people find themselves facing some harsh consequences for being arrested and charged for DUI. Hiring a Seattle DUI attorney to help can – at a minimum – reduce those penalties, and can help direct people on how to best deal with their DUI charge. So it should go without saying that someone cited for DUI should hire a qualified Seattle DUI attorney as soon as possible. Driving Under the Influence charges can cause havoc on a person’s personal and professional life. Anyone charged with DUI in Washington State should immediately seek the assistance of a seasoned Seattle DUI lawyer.