Another story recently hit the news about a driver with multiple DUI charges or convictions being arrested again for the same offense.

How is this possible?

Are the laws that lax that even though a person has four or five previous DUIs they still can be on the road? How can they have a car? What about a license? Silly question, but what about insurance?

Mistakes may happen, but no one has ever forgotten they lost their license or lost their insurance and decided to drive sober or under the influence.

This isn’t part of the disease of alcoholism. This is a clear choice to ignore the terms of the previous offense and take the keys to a 2000 pound weapon and head out onto the streets.

What is the worst that could happen, another DUI? That certainly doesn’t worry them. After all, what can the police do — give them a ticket and tell them not to drive again?

Once they have lost their license, they are no longer able to drive, but can they own a vehicle? Must they have a legal license to drive before they can buy insurance?

The truth is none of the current punishments are keeping them from getting behind the wheel again, harming or killing other drivers or pedestrians. It is time to consider new, stricter punishments.

When a person commits a crime that includes use of a motor vehicle or even use of a home, the government can and sometimes does confiscate the home or vehicle.

Many of these repeat DUI drivers are borrowing other people’s cars because they have lost their own. How likely would someone be to lend a person a car if they ran the risk of losing it?

Limiting access to any vehicle is the next logical step. Even a best friend is going to say no when losing the vehicle and becoming part of the crime is at stake.

It is time for the state legislature to get to work on this, and to give the DUI laws some real bite. The threat of losing a license and even jail time hasn’t stopped the offenders.

Maybe confiscating the vehicles and selling them at auction to fund victim relief cases will get it done.

Any DUI is wrong, but repeat offenses can’t be excused from criminal penalties.