With among the most lenient drunk driving laws in the nation, a number of Rhode Island legislators are again planning to introduce legislation to tighten those laws, and hopefully reduce drunk driving deaths.
The legislators, however, in promoting their renewed effort said a Forbes Advisor 2022 report ranked Rhode Island as having the second highest rate of deaths caused by drunken drivers in the country. A report by Forbes Advisor released this fall said, however, that Rhode Island’s rate of 2.34 people killed per 100,000 population by drunk drivers ranked 33rd of 51 states and the District of Columbia.
An article on the website carinsurancecomparson.com, however, listed Rhode Island as the sixth most dangerous state for drunk driving.
Here’s what carinsurancecomparison.com said Rhode Island ranked 33rd nationally in DUI arrests as and third worst DUI laws in the nation.
“Little Rhody might be making a good amount of DUI arrests, which equaled over 10 percent of the total arrests in 2016, but the arrests themselves aren’t going to do any good without laws to back them up,” the website said.
“The state Supreme Court has made sobriety checkpoint illegal in Rhode Island, there aren’t license revocation laws, child endangerment isn’t a felony, and the lookback period is only five years.”
The legislators are looking to change the lookback period to 10 years which would put the state in line with Connecticut, but far behind Massachusetts, whose lookback provision is lifetime.
The lookback provision allows judges to increase penalties for repeat offenders.
Additionally, legislators are looking to increase penalties for drunk drivers.
State Sen. Victoria Gu, D-Westerly, Charlestown, was not among the group legislators proposing to re-introduce drunk driving legislation but is a supporter.
She suggested two other areas that legislators might consider – strengthening the ignition interlock law and seeking a Constitutional Amendment that would allow sobriety checkpoints.
Currently, an ignition interlock device can be installed on your car if your license is suspended a DUI offense, you apply for a hardship license that permits you to drive to work, school, and a few other places. ignition interlock device would prevent you from starting your car if intoxicated.
Sobriety checkpoints were found unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court. Sobriety checkpoints, which are legal in some other states, would have these checkpoints at areas of high alcohol use.
