Georgia’s DUI laws may not be tough enough

On Behalf of | Aug 3, 2019 | Motor Vehicle Accidents |

All throughout the United States, including in Georgia, the penalties for a person convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol have become stronger over the last several decades. However, there is quite a variance between the penalties imposed by each state. One example of how things may differ is the required use of ignition interlock devices. IIDs are used predominately to prevent repeat DUIs.

According to the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, a driver in the state of Georgia who has been convicted of a DUI offense may not be ordered to install and use an IID unless the offense is their second such conviction within a time span of five years. Other states require IIDs for drivers even after a first DUI conviction.

The wife and other family members of a man who loved to ride his bike to work in Sandy Springs, Georgia may often wonder if the requirement to use an ignition interlock device after a first drunk driving charge may have prevented his untimely death. According to a report by Fox 5, the man was commuting to work on his bike on a Wednesday morning in July when an intoxicated driver hit and killed him.

After striking the cyclist, the woman apparently crashed her car to the point of totaling it. She had been arrested for drunk driving only 11 months prior to this incident. The man was only 29 years old. The drunk driver has been charged not only with a second DUI but also with vehicular homicide.