Extra Penalties Considered for Louisiana DWI During Hurricanes

Lawmaker worried about drunk driving in Louisiana during hurricane evacuations.

A Louisiana state legislator is considering filing a bill that would increase the penalties for drunk driving during a hurricane evacuation. Representative John Edwards has requested statistics from the state police to see if alcohol related accidents and DWI arrests hindered the evacuation of 1.9 million people before the arrival of Hurricane Gustav.

Edwards said he had heard of five arrests on Interstate 55 for driving while intoxicated in Louisiana in the first hours after evacuations were ordered. While that figure has not been confirmed by state police, Edwards used at meeting of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security to raise the issue of DWI penalties in order to improve the state’s response to hurricanes.

Edwards is proposing the creation of a new charge titled ‘Evacuation Driving While Intoxicated’ that would require jail time. In the lawmaker’s words, to have the driver ‘dry out’ for a few days at the Louisiana State Penitentiary. He is also considering mandatory installation of an ignition interlock device before an offender can resume driving.

The chairman of the House Select Committee has said that it is soliciting ideas from a number of sources to address problems associated with hurricane evacuations.

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