Text of Bill
Text of Bill
Other Legislative Stories
Jan. 25, 2000
Utah legislators today advanced two bills aimed at repeat drunk drivers.
Both measures would toughen the state's drunk driving laws and make it harder for offending drivers to get back on the road.
News Specialist Jed Boal has the story.
Jaynie Brown wants the Utah Legislature to feel the impact of drunk drivers.
She addressed the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice committee to back two bills.
Her daughter, son-in-law and two young grandchildren were hit by a drunk driver in an I-15 construction zone.
The four-year-old boy was killed, the two-year-old severly injured. She wants to spare others her pain.
Jaynie Brown/Drunk Driving Victim: "IF I COULD SAVE JUST ONE PERSON FROM ALL OF THE SUFFERING WE WENT THROUGH, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE WORTH IT."
Representative Nora Stephens pushed the bills through committee with unanimous approval.
The first targets drunk drivers who are drunk by more than twice the legal limit--a blood alcohol level of .16.
The other would require ignition interlocks on the cars of second-time DUI offenders so they can't start their cars while intoxicated.
It would also double the cost from $100 to $200 for drunk drivers to get their cars out of impound.
Rep. Nora Stephens/R-Sunset: "THE PURPOSE OF THESE TWO BILLS IS TO IMPLEMENT MEASURES THAT WOULD TARGET DRUNK DRIVERS WHO REPEAT THE OFFENSES WITH HIGH BLOOD-ALCOHOL LEVELS."
Jed Boal/Eyewitness News: "TAKEN TOGETHER THE BILLS REPRESENT ONE OF THE BIGGEST STEPS UTAH LAWMAKERS COULD TAKE IN DRUNK DRIVING LAWS. BOTH BILL COULD BE READY FOR THE FULL HOUSE IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS."
Last year, Utah recorded the fewest number of deaths and injuries from drunk drivingin a long time.
But, the representative says there's still more work to be done.
