Washington Governor Jay Inslee finally signed into law the state's toughened DUI laws, reports The Associated Press.

The new DUI law was first proposed following several high-profile deadly accidents. Governor Inslee acknowledged these tragedies and stated that the law would help prevent further drunk driving deaths.

Some important changes under the new law include:

• Drivers who are suspected of two or more DUIs face a mandatory arrest and will be required to install an ignition interlock device within five days of being charged.
• Individuals with multiple DUI convictions on their records may be required to undergo daily alcohol monitoring in certain jurisdictions under a new program.
• The law will provide more funding to local jurisdictions so that officials can prosecute DUI suspects quicker. Currently, many DUI suspects may await trial for one year or more due to government bureaucracy.

Most of the provisions in the new law will take effect on September 28th of this year. However, the new program to provide daily monitoring of repeat DUI offenders will not take effect until January 1, 2014.

The law that was ultimately signed by Governor Inslee ended up being a compromise from what the drafters of the law had sought. For example, the original plan would have increased minimum jail times for repeat offenders. However, the costs of implementing these measures was too prohibitive.

If you are facing a DUI charge in the Seattle or King County areas and want to know how these new laws affect you, contact a DUI attorney at Wolff Criminal Defense by calling 425-284-2000. Our experienced DUI defense attorneys can help explain the charges you face, go over the effects of the new law, and answer any other questions you may have.