South Carolina Proposes Bill To Strengthen DUI Enforcement

South Carolina has a drunk driving problem.  Even though it is not one of the most populous states, it consistently ranks in the top 10 for number of alcohol-related accidents.  Furthermore, alcohol is a factor in about a third of fatal traffic accidents nationwide, but in South Carolina as of 2024, that figure stands at 43 percent.  You would be reasonable to think of South Carolina as the state that drunk driving law reform forgot.  Of course, drunk driving is against the law in South Carolina, just as it is in other states; furthermore, even a first offense DUI can be subject to criminal penalties, even though first-time convictions for drunk driving usually do not result in jail time unless the drunk driver causes a collision.  Despite this, lawmakers and people injured in drunk driving collisions have called for stricter laws and enforcement to prevent injuries and deaths arising from alcohol-related accidents.  If you have been injured in an accident caused by a drunk driver, contact a Columbia car accident lawyer.

Provisions of Senate Bill 52

In January 2025, Sen. Tom Davis introduced Senate Bill 52 in the South Carolina legislature.  It aims to make it easier for prosecutors to secure a conviction for charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, especially in cases where the drunk driver causes an accident that results in bodily injuries.  For example, drunk drivers can often avoid conviction on technicalities, such as by delaying the measurement of their blood alcohol content (BAC).  Therefore, instead of having to use an ignition interlock device, the driver can simply go on driving like before, thus increasing the chances that he or she will drive drunk again, and the next time, he or she might cause an accident that could have been prevented by stricter DUI enforcement.

These are some key changes that SB 52 proposes:

• If the defendant gets convicted of a first offense DUI, the court may increase the penalties by up to $1,000 in fines and up to 180 days in jail if the defendant caused a collision.
• DUI will be a felony if the defendant causes a collision that causes moderate bodily injury or more than $2,500 in property damage. The penalties can increase by two months to ten years in prison.
• The family courts can order drunk drivers to pay child support to the minor children of parents killed in DUI accidents or parents who sustain injuries in DUI accidents that are serious enough to remove them permanently from the workforce.

Under the current laws, people injured in DUI accidents have the right to file civil lawsuits against drunk drivers, even if the drunk driver does not get a criminal conviction.  This will not change under SB 52.

Let Us Help You Today

The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you pursue a complaint related to a drunk driving accident.  Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.

Source:

live5news.com/2025/01/20/sc-lawmakers-consider-overhaul-law-modifying-how-dui-cases-are-handled/