Tennessee Introduces Two New DUI Laws

The state of Tennessee has added a pair of new DUI laws just in time for the 4th of July holiday.

Recently named the most deadliest day for driving by IIHS, the 4th of July is well-known for DUIs and statewide sobriety checkpoints. The two new laws aim at curbing the behavior of high-risk, repeat impaired offenders and will also help the state tackle jail overcrowding issues. The first law is called Amelia’s Law, named for Maryville teenager Amelie Keown, who was killed in a head-on collision with a repeat drug and alcohol offender.

SEE ALSO: 4th of July Named Deadliest Day for Driving by IIHS

Amelia’s Law makes it possible for any offender whose crime involved drugs or alcohol to be monitored with a “transdermal monitoring device,” according a press release. The law will apply to any person paroled on or after July 1, 2014 and the enhanced supervision option means repeat offenders can be monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week and held accountable for any violation of mandatory sobriety.

The second law is called the DUI Recidivism Reduction Act, which will also take effect July 1. That law focuses specifically on drunk drivers and gives the courts the power to sentence second and third time DUI offenders to substance abuse treatment as a condition of probation, but only after completing a mandatory period of time in jail. In addition, the law allows courts to require transdermal alcohol monitoring or location monitoring, along with random alcohol testing, for those released into the community and undergoing mandatory treatment.