Law enforcement is reporting an increase in arrests for drunk driving in Wyoming, with nearly 38% of all arrests involving intoxication. Lawmakers also cite existing cumbersome laws and loop holes that diminish the impact of a DUI arrest. In response, state legislators are considering an overall of the laws that would change how Wyoming deals with drinking and driving.
A proposed bill calls for stronger sentences for high risk, repeat offenders and make a fourth offense for driving under the influence in Wyoming a felony. In addition, the law would require ignition interlock devices for anyone convicted of DUI two or more times in a five year period. It would also differentiate between levels of intoxication. Many states have provisions for aggravated DUI which is charged when a motorist has an elevated blood alcohol content, usually .15% of higher or twice the legal limit for intoxication. Offenders with multiple arrests will be subject to increasingly more severe penalties. Currently Wyoming law limits the amount of time that prosecutors can look back for additional DUI convictions. One of the more dramatic changes is the call for criminalizing a refusal to submit to a breath, blood or urine test. Existing law calls for an administrative suspension of a driver
