THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 5, 1995 TAG: 9501050606
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LARRY W. BROWN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
More than 200 motorists have lost their right to drive for at least seven days under a new Virginia law that allows arresting officers to revoke the licenses of drunken drivers on the spot.
Under the law, effective Jan. 1, drivers who register a 0.08 blood alcohol level on a breath test, or who refuse to take the test, can have their licenses taken away for a week.
There were at least 170 revocations under the new legislation for the first two days of 1995, said Jeanne Chenault, a spokeswoman for the Department of Motor Vehicles. By Wednesday, the number had reached 207.
``If someone's willing to drive, knowing they're drunk, we want to inflict pain to bring about compliance,'' said state Sen. Ken Stolle of Virginia Beach, a sponsor of the law. ``You have to inconvenience them.''
The inconvenience can end after seven days. Licenses are returned to drivers then, even if they have not appeared in court.
State police Capt. William H. Johnson in Chesapeake said the roads and highways in Hampton Roads were relatively quiet over the holiday weekend.
``Those likely to violate the law avoided being on the road,'' Johnson said. ``It's a good deterrent for them.''
Twelve traffic fatalities in 10 crashes were reported across Virginia for the four-day weekend, according to preliminary statistics provided by the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program.
Early investigations show that alcohol may have been a factor in one of the crashes while its involvement was unknown in three others. Six were not alcohol-related.
Chenault said it is hard to determine the law's long-term effects.
``Since this is a new law, we have nothing to compare to determine trends,'' she said. ``And more people use alcohol this weekend than other weekends.'' by CNB