Teeth in new DUI laws

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alcohol-related traffic deaths,

but more troopers are needed.

As of Tuesday, drunk drivers faced tougher penalties for DUI in South Carolina. That's a positive development in a state with the highest rate of alcohol-related fatalities in the nation. But strengthened laws will be far more effective if state leaders begin to hire more troopers to enforce the laws.

The tougher penalties should make the alcohol-impaired person think twice before getting behind the wheel of the car. Penalties for DUI — especially second and third offenses — have increased dramatically.

For a first offense DUI conviction, the fine, including assessments, is $992, up $100 from the previous law. But even first-time offenders face imprisonment from two to 30 days and suspension of their driver's license for six months. Drivers also may be required to pay $500 to complete the state's Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program in order to get their licenses back.

The maximum fine for a second offense has more than doubled — from $5,100 to $10,744.50. That's true also ofthird offense fines, which increased from $6,300 to $13,234.50. Drunk drivers who cause great bodily injury could be hit with a $21,119.50 fine. Those responsible for the death of another person could be fined $52,244.50. After the first offense, those convicted of DUI are almost certain to serve time in prison.

The costs of a DUI conviction, however, don't end there. According to the South Carolina Insurance News Service, car liability insurance is almost certain to increase substantially — as much as 70 percent — for people convicted of DUI. Some companies might even cancel insurance coverage and a DUI offender could face difficulty obtaining insurance coverage from another company.

Those tough new penalties may be the most constructive change in the law because it is the habitual offender — not the casual drinker — who is most responsible for this state's high rate of alcohol-related fatalities.

Those changes, however, have been overshadowed by the debate over the DUI blood-alcohol standard. In the final minutes of this year's legislative session, lawmakers lowered the DUI standard from .10 to .08 percent blood alcohol content. The standard also applies to people operating a watercraft or using a firearm.

It's unfortunate, however, that lawmakers acted only after being threatened with the loss of $6.3 million in federal highway funds. South Carolina joins 38 other states that have reduced the DUI standard.

A concern is whether the Legislature will begin to restore much-needed funding to the state Department of Public Safety, which includes state troopers. The department has seen budget cuts of 30 percent since 2000. A larger trooper force is needed to ensure that stronger laws are successful in reducing the tragic rate of drunk-driving deaths in South Carolina.