New Study Shows Ohio More Lenient Than Most States With Drunk Drivers

Drunk driving penalties can be tough for just about anyone, no matter where you live, especially if you are a repeat offender. Every situation is unique, however, so the penalties can always vary from case to case. In addition, when it comes to drunk driving-related offense every state handles them a little differently. While it would seem that every state continues to push harder for tougher penalties in an effort to crack down on drunk drivers, not every state is as hard on people who are convicted of driving under the influence as some other states.

WalletHub, an analytics and social media company, recently did a study to measure how tough each state is on drunk drivers. So how did the state of Ohio measure up? According to the study, Ohio is actually one of the more lenient states in the country when it comes to punishing convicted drunk drivers. In fact, the results show that Ohio is number 10 on the list for being the most lenient. WalletHub used 15 different measurements to find their results and Ohio ended up tied with New Jersey for 41st place on the strictness side. Arizona was the toughest state, while South Dakota faired the worst.

According to the researchers who conducted the study, the factor that weighed most heavily was minimum jail time for those convicted of a first or second offense. Ohio did not do well in either of these metrics. However, it is important to note that the study was not used to determine the efficacy of each state’s laws, but rather it was used to measure the severity of the laws. In Ohio, drunk drivers face a minimum of three-days in jail while it jumps to only 10 days for second-time offenders. By way of comparison, West Virginia does not have a mandatory jail time for first-time offenders, but second time offenders will spend at least 180 days behind bars.

These are interesting results and could be encouraging for anyone in Ohio who is facing an alcohol-related driving offense. However, no one wants to spend even one day in jail, lose his or driving privileges, pay fines or have a drunk-driving conviction on his or her record. That’s why getting the help of a DUI defense attorney is always a good idea when facing such charges. At The VanNoy Firm we can help you fight drunk driving charges. Please contact our firm today at 937-952-5043, or connect with us online by clicking here.