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DAKOTA (NewsDakota.com) – North? ?Dakota?’?s? ?DUI? ?laws? ?are? ?becoming? ?much? ?tougher? ?today.

Representative? ?Kim? ?Koppelman,? ?who? ?sponsored? ?the? ?legislation? ?now? ?taking? ?effect,? ?says? ?he? ?hopes? ?it? ?will? ?help? ?start? ?a? ?cultural? ?change? ?when? ?it? ?comes? ?to? ?drinking? ?and? ?driving.

North Dakota has had issues with drunk driving for some time. More recently, in 2011 about 660-hundred DUI arrests were made in the state. In 2012, 87 people were killed on North Dakota roadways by drunk drivers. And so far this year, 25 people have lost their lives in alcohol related crashes.

Koppelman says under the new laws, drunk drivers who cause the death of another person can be charged with a class A felony and spend up to 20 years in prison. Even a first time offender will now be subject to fines of at least $500 or more and repeat offenders will face mandatory jail time. Koppelman says they will also participate in the 24/7 Program.

Koppelman? ?says? ?other? ?states? ?like? ?South? ?Dakota? ?have? ?had? ?success? ?with? ?the? ?24/7? ?Program.? ?He? ?says? ?positive? ?change? ?won?’?t? ?happen? ?overnight,? ?but? ?says? ?he? ?is? ?optimistic? ?that? ?the? ?new? ?laws? ?are? ?a? ?good? ?start.