GA Ranked as One of the Strictest States for DUI Penalties

Depending on the state you call home, it may cost you more if you’re caught driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. A study released at the end of August ranked the states with the least and most lenient laws and legislation for persons convicted of driving under the influence. 

The latest research recently published by Siegfried & Jensen revealed the findings, also concluding that more stringent DUI laws do not always mean fewer repeat offenders.  

The Utah-based law firm, which specializes in automobile and semi-truck accidents, analyzed each state’s statistics on impaired driving fatalities as well as impaired driving injuries while comparing that info to individual laws and penalties. The study’s findings rank each state on a scale of 1 to 100 to show which have the most severe DUI consequences. [100 is the ‘most severe’] The study was prompted by a December 2018 change in Utah, in which the state became the first in the nation to reduce the legal blood alcohol limit for driving from 0.08% to 0.05%. 

According to the study, Minnesota has the strictest DUI laws in the nation, but also has the highest percentage of repeat DUI offenders. As compared to other states in the nation, Minnesota also received the highest score when it comes to penalties for both jail time (4.9) and associated fines for a second DUI charge (2.9).

The Peach State ranked third in the nation for strictest DUI laws. 

[Photo: siegfriedandjensen.com]

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On the other hand, South Dakota (20), Wyoming (25), New Mexico (35), North Dakota (37) and Maryland (39) were ranked as the five most lenient states.  For example, there is no jail time for DUIs in South Dakota.

The 10 most lenient states are below:

Head on over to the official website of the study to see the interactive map and the study methodology.