The Chilean government is cracking down on impaired driving by imposing mandatory incarceration for drunk drivers. Recently the Chilean president signed a national law that imposes a minimum 1-year prison sentence on impaired drivers who cause crashes that result in serious injuries or deaths.
DUI Crash Triggers National Response
The law stems from outrage over a drunk driver who was convicted in the death of a 9-month-old girl but managed to avoid going to jail. Previously, Chile dealt with serious drunk drivers with license suspensions.
Chile’s new law is attracting attention because it creates a national sentencing standard for drunk driving. Penalties differ around the world, but few countries have nationally-mandated minimum sentences for drunk driving. And in many countries—like the United States—penalties can vary greatly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
Drunk Driving Sentences in the United States
Given the issue communities face with jail overcrowding, national mandatory prison terms for drunk drivers are unlikely in the U.S. But the Federal government finds ways to pressure states to meet mandatory requirements. This summer, U.S. Representative Nita Lowey (NY-D) introduced a bill in the House that would withhold federal highway funds from states that don’t require ignition interlock devices for all convicted drunk drivers. This same approach was used to get states to raise the legal drinking age to 21 and lower the minimum level of intoxication while driving to 0.08 BAC.
What do you think of national laws to address impaired driving? Should there be uniform sentences for drunk drivers?
