Work in the Legislature still is in the preliminary stages. A 27-page bill to increase penalties for drunken driving just cleared a subcommittee of the S.C. Impaired Driving Prevention Council this week. The full council may take it up Thursday, and, if approved, it could be introduced in the Legislature by early next month.

But all the pieces appear to be in place for much-needed reforms. A grass-roots coalition of concerned residents, organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving and a variety of law enforcement agencies has promoted toughened efforts to address the DUI problem. Gov. Mark Sanford supports the effort, and members of the Legislature have set it as a priority.

Many of the measures included in the House bill make sense. In fact, they represent playing catch-up with states that already have upped the penalties for drunken driving.

Included in the bill are proposals to increase driving license suspensions for people who refuse to take a breath test; institute graduated penalties depending on blood-alcohol levels; allow people to be charged with "operating" under the influence even if they are merely sitting in a running car; and eliminate police warnings against self-incrimination before giving field-sobriety and breath tests.

We like the idea of increasing penalties according to blood-alcohol levels. Penalties would range from 48 hours in jail for a first offense of driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent but less than 0.10 percent to seven years in prison for fourth and subsequent offenses of driving with a level of at least 0.16 percent.

That helps target the chronic offenders, many of whom are not deterred by having their licenses suspended, as opposed to the social drinker who makes the mistake of driving after having one too many. Both would be punished but with penalties reflecting the severity of the offense and the behavior of the offender.

Lawmakers could take other steps to curb DUIs, and we hope they will get to those later in the session. The Legislature should provide the money and the mandate for the State Law Enforcement Division to develop regulations for the use of ignition interlock devices. These devices require drivers to blow into a small alcohol sensor, usually attached to the dashboard. If the driver is intoxicated, the vehicle won't start.

SLED has had the authorization to use ignition interlocks since 2000 but has not had the money to develop the program. The state also should investigate other technology, such as the Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor -- or SCRAM -- which is locked around the ankles of DUI probationers where it measures blood-alcohol content as it dissipates through perspiration.

The state already has taken steps to put more troopers on the road, which also should improve efforts to intercept drunken drivers. But state officials should evaluate enforcement efforts in the near future and determine whether even more troopers are needed.

This is likely to be a banner year for anti-DUI efforts in South Carolina. It has been a long time coming.

IN SUMMARY
Effort to reduce drunken driving fatalities is on the agenda of many this session.