Stiffer penalties for DUI heard in Senate

New changes to Utah's DUI laws are contained in Senate Bill 15, sponsored by Sen. Carlene Walker, R-Cottonwood Heights, which moved forward in the Senate Wednesday.

Key changes proposed in Walker's bill include the elimination of pleas in abeyance, increasing impound fees, including inhalants in the drug definition of the law, increasing the "look-back" period (that is, the time period evaluated for previous convictions, taken into account for a current drug/alcohol related charge), changes to penalties for individuals under 21 convicted of a DUI and stiffer penalties for those whose impaired driving results in another's injury.

Walker noted that DUI convictions in Utah were up over 30 percent last year and that traffic accidents are the number one killer of teens.

SB15 passed for a third reading in the Senate.