WAMU 88.5 : Morning Edition

Filed Under:

D.C. Gets Tougher Drunk Driving Law

By: Patrick Madden // July 30, 2012
Play associated audio
comments
A new drunk driving law enforces tougher penalties on some drunk drivers in the District.
Jason Rojas (http://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingbeatsaduck/2618366645/)
A new drunk driving law enforces tougher penalties on some drunk drivers in the District.

Tougher drunk driving laws go into effect this week in the District. As part of the overhaul of the city's DUI laws, starting August 1, there will be longer jail sentences for repeat offenders and drivers caught with very high blood alcohol levels. 

Drunk drivers caught with a child in the car will now face mandatory jail time, and the city is also lowering the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for commercial vehicle operators, including cab drivers, from the standard .08 percent to .04 percent.

"What the new law does: It makes it easier for police to arrest drunk drivers, it makes it easier for prosecutors to prosecute drunk driving, and it makes it harder for repeat drunk drivers to go back out on the road," says Council member Phil Mendelson. 

The legislation also addresses the expected re-launch of the police department's breathalyzer program, which has been shut down since February 2010 because some of the machines had been improperly calibrated. 

The revamped breathalyzer program is expected to launch sometime in August, says Mendelson. 

Related Links

Arts & Culture

NPR

Fictional 'Mothers' Reveal Facts Of A Painful Adoption Process

After years trying to conceive, novelist Jennifer Gilmore and her husband decided to adopt. What they thought would be a relatively simple process was instead a long and painful one. In her latest novel, Gilmore channels these autobiographical experiences into fiction.

Food

NPR

In Raw Milk Case, Activists See Food Freedom On Trial

Activists say the case against Wisconsin dairy farmer Vernon Hershberger is about raw milk — and much more. His supporters have turned the case into a rallying cry for personal food freedom and the rights of farmers and consumers to enter into private contracts without government intervention.

Politics

NPR

Obama Group's Climate Push Puts President Under Scrutiny

Organizing for Action — a group that formed out of President Obama's re-election campaign — has focused its ire on Republicans it calls "climate change deniers." But some environmentalists are frustrated with the president himself on issues like the Keystone pipeline.

Technology

NPR

How That 'Nigerian Email Scam' Got Started

You've probably seen it in your inbox before: Someone who claims to have come into a fortune needs your help. You can share in the profits — if you send along a deposit or your bank account number. Boston Globe correspondent Finn Brunton talks about the history of the "Nigerian prince" or "419" scam, which actually got its start long before email.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.