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S.C.'s new DUI law takes effect |
Starting today, drunk drivers will face a new law that police agencies hope will reduce fatalities and injuries statewide.The law, passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Mark Sanford last year, creates a tiered system of punishments — the higher the person’s blood-alcohol level and more prior convictions, the stiffer the penalty.Under the new law:• Penalties will range from 48 hours in jail or a $400 fine for a first offense for a driver with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 or 0.09 percent to seven years in prison for drivers convicted of a fourth or subsequent offense of driving with a blood-alcohol content of 0.16 percent or more. The previous maximum prison time for a repeat offender was five years.• Drivers who refuse to take a breath test will have their driver’s licenses suspended for six months — up from the previous three months.
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