Drunk drivers primarily make the news for two reasons, and neither of them are good. These offenders either caused an accident that injured or killed someone, or are repeat offenders with too many OVI (operating a vehicle while impaired) arrests under their proverbial belts. In the case of Anthony Card, the situation is the latter. The Elyria, Ohio man was just arrested for his 11th suspected OVI, prompting residents to wonder why the punishment for OVI related offenses aren’t harsher.
Repeat Offenders on the Roads
The average person stopped for an OVI offense and later convicted, learns his/her lesson and never does so again. They realize their fate could have ended differently or even tragically. As a result, they are scared of what could’ have been and never do it again. However, some people repeatedly drive while intoxicated or on drugs. They either believe they are invincible, since nothing happened to them previously, or they just don’t care about the lives of the people they encounter on the road.
Tougher Laws Are Needed
The case of Anthony Card illustrates the need for stricter OVI laws. According to law enforcement officials, he had ten previous OVI arrests throughout Northeastern Ohio. Just recently, he was stopped by police due to a very loud muffler and the inability to keep his vehicle under control. Swerving between lanes is an obvious indication of a driver’s impairment. Mr. Card failed a field sobriety test and was taken in on several different charges, including OVI and driving with a defective muffler. It was then that police discovered how many times he’d been arrested for driving while drunk.
If the laws were stricter, this scenario would not take place and many lives would be saved. Card would have lost his license after the second OVI offense. Yes, some drivers continue to drive without a license and as such, these offenders must be jailed! Some states force repeat offenders to equip their vehicles with a breathalyzer device or similar type of equipment. The individual must breath into the device and if impaired, the vehicle will not start. Other states enforce jail time or other harsh punishment.
The state of Ohio can certainly implement harsher laws to prevent repeat offenders from getting behind the wheel. How many more innocent people have to die because they were on the road at the wrong time?
If you have been injured in an accident caused by a drunk driver, please call our highly experienced team of accident lawyers at NRS today!
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