Convicted drink drivers face alcohol ban

New legislation could lead to citizens in Oklahoma being banned from buying and drinking alcohol if they have been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI).

People living in Oklahoma could be banned from buying or drinking alcohol if convicted of drink driving

The bill, which has been written by Oklahoma state senator Patrick Anderson, would permit courts to order a person to abstain from consuming alcohol for a given period of time, as deemed appropriate by the court.

By and large, first time DUI offenders in most states are given a fine and/or suspension or revocation of their driving license.

Under the new proposal, a convicted DUI offender would swap their license for a new piece of identification marked “alcohol restricted”, the Huffington Post reported.

As such, it would then be illegal for anyone to sell or provide alcohol to those carrying an “alcohol restricted” license, and those caught flouting the law would face a fine of up to US$1,000.

The proposed bill comes after Oklahoma passed a law last year permitting prosecutors to confiscate the car of a person charged with drunk driving once that person’s case is in court.

Last year, New York introduced a new law to reduce the number of fatal road accidents meaning repeat drink driving offenders could now face up to seven years in prison.

Meanwhile in Scotland, the blood alcohol limit for driving was lowered last year after figures showed one in 10 road deaths involved drivers over the legal limit.