The Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) launched last week an enhanced registry of people who have been convicted at least five times of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and meet certain other criteria established by law.
By automating what had been a paper-driven process, ODPS and the Ohio State Highway Patrol have produced a more up-to-date, complete and searchable listing of habitual offenders.
Several recent media reports had identified gaps in the registry, which was created in 2008. The upgrades dramatically improve the system and the results. Instead of relying on local court jurisdictions to submit forms to add a habitual offender to the registry, the new system compiles the information automatically from already existing electronic records.
Click here to access the Habitual Offender Registry.
A state law created the registry and defined who should be included:
- Anyone with five or more convictions during the past 20 years (at least one of the convictions must be since the law took effect on September 30, 2008).
- The registry does not include convictions more than 20 years old.
- The registry does not include deceased people.
- The registry does not include out-of-state convictions.
- Juvenile offenses are included.
- If a single incident results in multiple impaired driving-related convictions, it is counted as one conviction for purposes of this registry.
This change comes just in time for the holiday season, which can be one of the most dangerous times of the year on the road, due to an increase in impaired driving. The Patrol will be out in full force this holiday season, removing dangerous and impaired drivers in an effort to reduce fatal and injury crashes. Last year in Ohio, seven people died in OVI-related crashes between Christmas and New Year’s.
The public is encouraged to continue using #677 to report dangerous or impaired drivers, as well as drug activity.
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