Published Friday, January 31, 2003
going up
in Pa.
Herald Staff Writer
Motorists planning a road trip in Pennsylvania might want to think twice before getting behind the wheel if they've downed a few beers or abused drugs. New, higher fines for drug and alcohol driving-related crimes take effect Feb. 7.
The new law imposes an additional $100 fine on all drunken driving and drug-related offenses, raising the minimum fine from $300. An extra $200 is added if a driver's blood alcohol content is higher than 0.15 percent; Pennsylvania's legal limit is 0.10 percent.
That means a person arrested for drunken driving after Feb. 7 may have to pay up to a $600 fine, plus more than $500 in court costs.
Half the fine goes to counties for substance abuse prevention and treatment programs; the state keeps the rest.
Locally, that means more money for Mercer County Behavioral Health Commission.
Dana Frankenburg, the commission's chief executive officer, said any additional funds are welcome. The commission spends about 65 percent of its $2 million drug and alcohol budget on prevention programs, he said.
"The number of drunken driving arrests has grown throughout the years," he said. "Extra money from the fines would provide additional funds for the treatment and prevention programs," Frankenburg said, adding he thinks raising the fines was a good idea.
According to the year-end drunken driving conviction report compiled by the Pennsylvania DUI Association, at least 189 of Mercer County's record 597 drunken driving convictions last year involved blood-alcohol readings of 0.15 percent or higher. If that number holds, it would translate to at least an extra $100,000 from DUI fines.
The extra money will mean some changes in the county Clerk of Courts office, which collects fines and court costs. Clerk of Courts Kathy Kloos said the county will incur some expense in setting up new accounts, modifying reports and making changes to collections software.
The change will bring more money for treatment programs, but Sharon Police Chief Tom Burke said he doesn't think the higher fines will do much to curtail drunken driving. Sharon had more than 100 drunken driving arrests last ear, the highest number in any Mercer County municipality.
"I think a stiffer sentence would be the best deterrent to the crime," he said, noting that a prison stay is not mandated for a first offense.