Earlier this week, two Washington state legislators took action to increase the criminal penalties for people who have been convicted of a drunk driving fatality. If the proposed legislation passes, people who are convicted of vehicular homicide based on drunk driving or a series of similar offenses would receive more than six years in jail, even if the accident was their first offense.

Under the law as proposed by State Rep. Christopher Hurst, the first-time sentence for vehicular homicide caused by drunk driving would increase to 78 to 102 months. Currently, the range for this offense is 31 to 41 months in prison. Hurst is the chair of the House Public Safety Committee.

The increase would also apply for vehicular homicides that result from reckless driving or disregard for the safety of others and vehicular assault. If it passes, the sentence would be identical to the minimum sentence for a first-degree manslaughter conviction.

Although there has only been a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives, it will likely be introduced into the Senate soon. State Sen. David Frockt reportedly plans to present a similar bill to the members of the Senate. He claims that more than a dozen other senators have already signed on to co-sponsor the proposed law.

The Washington state branch of Mothers Against Drunk Driving reports that there were 170 traffic deaths related to impaired driving in the state in 2010. It is unclear whether the proposed law would serve to lower this number, or whether other measures would do more to reduce drunk driving deaths.

Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, "Wash. officials seek tougher terms for fatal DUIs," Dec. 28, 2011