Lawmakers Aiming to Tighten Screws on Drunk Drivers

Drunk driving continues to be a problem in Wisconsin. A report released by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation shows that while the number of alcohol related crashes has dropped in the state, the number of deaths resulting from those accidents has stayed relatively steady over the past 40 years. The highest number of crashes with alcohol listed as a cause was in 1979, where nearly 30,000 such crashes occurred. 500 fatalities attributed to those crashes, where in 2015 5,000 crashes occurred, with around 200 deaths resulting from the crashes. Lawmakers are trying to reduce those numbers even more, by proposing that a first time OWI offender be hit with a criminal offence instead of a traffic citation. This would require the offender to spend time in court, instead of simply paying a fine, a plan lawmakers hope will deter would be drunk drivers.