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New York DMV tightens rules on DWI convictions
The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles will permanently revoke the licenses of New York drivers with four drug- or alcohol-related convictions or incidents instead of the previous five. FOX 5 NY’s Jodi Goldberg explains many argue that’s still way too many chances.
NEW YORK - The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will permanently revoke the licenses of New York drivers with four drug- or alcohol-related convictions or incidents.
Under previous rules, drivers lost their driving privileges after five drug- or alcohol-related convictions or incidents.
The new policy is now in effect as of Friday.
The new "Forfeit After Four" policy reflects stricter regulations recently implemented by the DMV.
"When someone is repeatedly convicted of driving under the influence, they need to be permanently removed from our roadways, and a ‘forfeit after four’ policy significantly increases our ability to do just that," Mark J.F. Schroeder, Commissioner of the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles said.
What does the 'Forefeit After Four' allow?
"This law will appropriately take away the driving privileges of those who unfairly put everyone else on New York’s roads at greater risk," Schroeder said.
- Permanent license denial after three alcohol- or drug-related driving convictions or incidents plus one or more other serious driving offenses.
- The DMV can now deny an application for re-licensure for two years if the applicant has three alcohol- or drug-related driving convictions and no serious driving offense.
- Other applicants who meet the same criteria but have a current license revocation for an alcohol- or drug-related conviction will face a five-year denial.
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drivers with previous drug or alcohol-related offenses are more likely to be repeat offenders.
For more information on penalties for alcohol or drug-related penalties in New York, click here.
The Source: This article contains information from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.