Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 37, or Liv’s Law, into Ohio law Jan. 10, increasing the penalty for Aggravated Vehicular Homicides committed by drunk drivers.
Liv’s Law was championed by the family of Olivia Wright, a young woman killed by a drunk driver in 2020.
The law will put harsher punishments on those who specifically have a record of operating a vehicle impaired and whose behavior has resulted in the death of another person. Liv’s Law also gives law enforcement officers the right to use oral fluid testing, a saliva test to detect drugs such as marijuana.
Liv’s Law will not change how first-time OVIs are enforced.
State Rep. Mark Johnson (R-Chillicothe), who originated the bill in the Ohio legislature with Rep. Kevin Miller (R-Newark), outlined the intent for Liv’s Law.
“(Bryan Wright, Olivia Wright’s father) pointed out to me how weak Ohio’s laws are compared to other states in the nation, and that is what inspired me to work on this legislation in an attempt to try and deter any drunk driver from becoming a repeat offender,” Johnson said in a press release.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, there have been 61,003 OVI-related crashes since 2020, with 3,142 resulting in a fatality.
In addition, 60% of all drivers involved in OVI-related crashes were between the ages of 21-39.
In the past 5 years, almost 81,000 OVI arrests have been made in Ohio, 30% of which were repeat offenders.
In Athens County, there were 12 OVI enforcements in 2024 and three so far in 2025.
Ohio University Police Department communications relations officer Evan Wilkof highlighted the City of Athens does not tend to have repeat OVI offenders.
“I think the cases we see in our department are not necessarily repeat offenders,” Wilkof said. “If a student is charged with driving under the influence, most of the time it is their first offense. It’s in the county outside of the university that it is more likely.”
Wilkof noted OUPD does not have the resources to implement oral fluid testing as of right now.
“I do know that with the recent legalization of marijuana, driving while high is now becoming an equally concerning offense,” Wilkof said. “I imagine that they’re working on something (like the field sobriety test) for marijuana, but it takes a long time to be researched and tested and, furthermore, approved for all agency use.”
Wilkof also emphasized people should not be driving under the influence even if they do not think they are drunk, especially in a pedestrian-heavy place such as Uptown Athens.
“Buzzed driving is still drunk driving,” Wilkof said. “I think a lot of folks feel that they are capable of driving after drinking, whether it’s dinner at a restaurant or at a bar and, especially in Athens, the pedestrian traffic is so high. The risk of injuring someone, a pedestrian especially, is exponentially high.”
Wilkof said people can be placed under arrest and charged for OVI if they cannot perform the field sobriety tests properly, even if their blood alcohol level is below 0.8.
Alex Otte, the regional executive director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, stressed the large impact just one drunk driver can have.
“We know that, on average, nearly 12,000 people every year are being killed and more than 300,000 people are being injured (from drunk driving),” Otte said. “Does it impact the individual who is injured or killed as a result of the crash? Yes, but it also impacts entire communities, families, their parents, their friends. Someone who has been impacted by a crash feels this effect forever.”
Otte also explained Liv’s Law intends to increase accountability for impaired drivers.
“We want to do anything and everything we can to ensure that those who made this dangerous and deadly choice are held accountable,” Otte said. “Liv’s family, the Wright family, championed this effort in bringing forth Liv’s Law to do just that … but also make it known that you will be held accountable for this choice in hopes of deterring others from making the same choice.”
Otte also pointed out MADD has crisis intervention programs, court accompaniment and law enforcement advocacy programs. They can also help families affected by impaired driving through the criminal justice system.
MADD also offers emotional support and grief support to any individuals or families impacted by impaired driving.
“I think the inherent dangers of driving intoxicated, whether it's by alcohol, drugs or a combination of both, is incredibly high,” Wilkof said. “I know a number of families and students here at the university who have been impacted by drunk driving and its fatalities, so I feel that stricter penalties and following laws that are passed in the Ohio Senate and nationwide are a good idea.”
