PENNSYLVANIA – New DUI laws passed in October for all of Pennsylvania that toughen the penalties for repeat offenders are now in effect.
The laws allow felony charges to be filed if the offender commits a third DUI offense and their blood alcohol content (BAC) is 0.16 or higher or if the arrest is their fourth or more.
The new law also increases prison time if an impaired driver unintentionally causes the death of another person.
The minimum sentence would also increase from three to five years for a person who had a prior DUI.
A person with two or more prior DUIs would face a minimum sentence of seven years.
Pennsylvania typically sees about 10,000 alcohol-related crashes and 300 fatalities each year in the state.
The laws went into effect Sunday.