New Ohio law cracks down on repeated OVI offenders

To lose a loved one as a result of a reckless, drunk driver is unimaginable made worse only if the driver is a repeat offender. Tuesday marked the first day of a new law in Ohio that will help protect people from repeat OVI offenders.

This will be done by increase penalties for first-time offenders and revamping protocol for these cases in the courtroom.

The minimum driver’s license suspension for drunk driving will increase from six months to one year.

If a person is sentenced to 13 months of license suspension, this law will give them an opportunity to cut that time in half if they choose to use an interlock device– a glorified term for a breathalyzer inside a car that disables it if the person behind the wheel blows over the legal limit.

Prior to Tuesday, judges were only able to consider the last six years of an OVI offenders driving record. With this new law, judges will be granted access to the past ten years. Hopefully this will help to paint a more clear picture of the offenders driving history so that judges can make a more informed ruling.

This law is named after Annie Rooney who was hit and killed by a repeat drunk driving offender nearly four years ago in Chillicothe. She was only 36 years old.

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