Across the United States, state legislators are looking more seriously at impaired drivers. Ohio recently passed a new law, known as Liv’s Law, that significantly increases the penalties for repeat DUI offenders. While the law only applies to Ohio drivers, it is indicative of a larger nationwide move toward DUI policies that are designed to be harsh enough to prevent repeat DUI offenders. The new DUI policies in Ohio could potentially affect other states, including Illinois.
Liv’s Law was named after a 22-year-old Ohio woman killed in 2020 by a repeat DUI offender. Following the passage of this law, a first offense OVI (Operating a Vehicle Impaired) in Ohio that results in the death of another person now has a mandatory prison sentence of two to eight years. When there are no injuries or deaths involved, a first-time OVI offender now faces a driver’s license suspension of five years, while a third-time offender will have his or her driver’s license revoked for life.