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Drunk Driving in Wisconsin

by Representative Ann Hraychuck

As a career law enforcement officer, I have seen first hand the devastating affect of drunk driving. I’ve seen families torn apart, children and teenagers snatched away in the prime of their lives because of drunk drivers.

Next week law enforcement officers across the nation will be stepping up enforcement against drulaw nk driving with their “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit Under Arrest” campaign. Approximately 300 enforcement agencies throughout Wisconsin will join in the nationwide enforcement effort.

Despite past efforts to lower the blood alcohol content law, drunk driving continues to take a horrible toll on our state highways. Forty-two percent of all traffic fatalities in our state are the direct result of drunk driving.

To combat this road safety concern, this past legislative session I supported legislation to increase the criminal penalties for repeat drunk driving convictions. Previously a person convicted of their 5th OWI faced the same penalties as a person convicted of their 10th OWI. As a result of Act 111, the penalties increase incrementally up to a class F felony and imprisonment of not more than 12 ½ years for chronic drunk drivers.

Also included in Act 111 was an increase in funding for SafeRide, a popular program designed to help bar patrons get home safely. Last year the SafeRide Program provided 37,700 rides, a 10 percent increase from the previous year. Jointly Burnett and Polk Counties provided 4,500 rides home for impaired drivers. Shortly after I was elected Sheriff in Polk County, in 2001, my staff and I partnered with the Polk County Tavern League, who were instrumental in initiating the SafeRide Program in Polk County. As you can see by the statistics, this continues to be a very successful program today to keep impaired drivers off of our roads.

Last week, I attended an “Impaired Driving in Wisconsin” town hall meeting in Middleton, WI, hosted by the WI Department of Transportation, the University of WI Law School, and Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD). This event brought highway safety advocates and professionals together to discuss impaired driving issues in WI and around the nation. It was one of 20 similar state-level “OWI” town hall meetings being held across the United States this summer.

Next session, I anticipate working with my colleagues in an effort to further address drunk driving concerns. Among the ideas currently being discussed are increased penalties for drivers with a blood alcohol content twice the legal limit; installation of ignition interlock devices and special drunk driving courts that focus on mandated treatment programs as a part of sentencing.

Drunk driving is a very serious road safety issue and the approaches taken in the past simply haven’t worked. We have to find better, different, and smarter ways to address drunk driving. Prevention, punishment, and treatment must all be woven into the solution for this deadly state and national problem. Cracking down on drunk driving will be a significant issue in the upcoming legislative session and I welcome your ideas on this issue. You can contact my office by calling toll free 1-888-529-0028 or email rep.hraychuck@legis.wi.gov