Study says Tenn. has some of the most aggressive DUI laws in the nation

WMOT | By Mike Osborne

Published June 17, 2015 at 11:24 AM CDT

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT) -- A new study says Tennessee’s DUI laws are some of the strongest in the country.

Analysts at the personal finance website Wallethub.com used several metrics to rate the strictness of the 50 state’s DUI laws. Tennessee came in 12^th.

Wallethub’s Jill Gonzalez says Tennessee has surprisingly severe penalties for driving under the influence, including long minimum jail times.

Gonzales says DUI’s are involved in about a third of all traffic fatalities nationwide, and also have significant financial impact.

“DUI’s greatly affect insurance premiums from state to state. Premiums can go up in one year almost 120 percent in a state like California. So that’s why we like to see where these states preventatively do things for DUI, and the how that factors into your premiums later on.”

Gonzalez says drunk driving costs the nation an estimated $60 billion dollars each year.

You can find a link to the complete Wallethub study on the news page at WMOT.