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Senator Seeks To Toughen Florida Laws For Refusing DUI Tests
January 1, 2016
A Republican senator is seeking to toughen laws for motorists who refuse to take tests aimed at determining whether they have driven drunk. Senate Rules Chairman David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, filed a bill (SB 1244) on Monday that targets motorists who refuse breath, blood or urine tests. Current law, in part, can lead to motorists having their driver’s licenses suspended for such refusals. Under Simmons’ bill, motorists who refuse first-time requests from police to take the tests would face penalties including fines of at least $500 and six months of probation. The bill also would address motorists who refuse the tests after having their driving privileges suspended for prior incidents in which they declined the tests. Under the bill, those people could be charged with first-degree misdemeanors and have ignition-interlock devices installed on their vehicles for a year.
by The News Service of Florida
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7 Responses to “Senator Seeks To Toughen Florida Laws For Refusing DUI Tests”
The analysis for the bill says that it is needed because in 2005 only 40% of Florida driver’s refused a breath blood or urine test, but by 2011 that number jumped to 80%. That is actually not true and the national study just got the numbers wrong. For a first refusal you already get a 12 month suspension of your driver’s license with no possibility of a hardship until you enroll in DUI school. Plus, the prosecutor can show impairment just by arguing you must have known you were drunk because you refused (consciousness of guilt). So this legislation isn’t needed. The link explains it – https://tampaduiattorney.wordpress.com/2016/01/23/fuzzy-math-fuels-myth-that-floridas-dui-refusal-rate-at-82/
Mo money, solution is just don’t drink or do drugs to begin with. Then they would not get your money and no one would be killed by impaired drivers.
@ mo money
I don’t understand your opposition to more fines. The law has two ways to punish people. Fines and jail. The current fines are not enough to keep people from doing it. It’s great that you want to punish duis that involve crashes, but the only difference between a DUI with a death and one without is LUCK. You do not have the RIGHT to not give a breath sample. Driving is a privilege and not a right.
The old ones you could use canned air to blow into the device and it let you start the car
Hope the ignition interlock system has changed in the past 20 years. 20 years ago I remember a man bragging his 14 year old step d aughter would blow in and gother his car started. Are they the same today, anyone can blow into the interlock?
Just another way to make money. All he wants is already been passed some what . State of Florida has become All about Money. Any way they can. What’s the point of more fines & Penalty’s to him? He just wants a Law named after him? We don’t need any new money making laws. A Dui is already bad enough even on a first charge. Not Guilty Will Cost U $5000 with an arrest. Is that not enough? I agree with Accidents or death caused by a Dui To Be More . But for Merely refusing to Blow on a traffic stop which is your right Should not cost any more than it already does.
There is no ignition interlock device that determines if you have a valid drivers license.