Mayor Proposes Increased Jail Time for Drunk Driving
From Alden Leonard. Contact him at alden[AT]borderstan.com and follow him @aldenleonard on Twitter.
Mayor Vincent Gray proposes increased jail time for drunken drivers. (Luis Gomez Photos)
Drunk driving laws could change in the city. Last week, Mayor Vincent Gray unveiled a new proposal to stiffen DC’s drunk driving laws, and the worst offenders could have an increase in their minimum jail sentences.
The Examiner reports that the measure, currently pending before City Council, would boost sentences for drivers with a blood-alcohol content of 0.20 or higher to at least 10 days in jail. Currently, District law requires five days for such an infraction. For drivers who blow a 0.25 or above, the penalty under Gray’s plan would jump to a minimum of 15 days in jail. Gray’s proposal would also increase fines for less serious instances of impaired driving.
It is estimated that these new measures would affect nearly half of individuals arrested for drunken driving.
Gray’s spokesman called the initiative “part of a broader effort to reduce traffic issues … and … to make it safe to come into the District.”
