Increased penalties for reckless driving, carjacking signed into law

MADISON, Wis. (WMDX) – Two bills were signed into law Wednesday that increase penalties for reckless driving and carjacking.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed Assembly Bill 55 and Senate Bill 76, creating 2023 Wisconsin Act 9 and Act 10.

Act 9 doubles penalties for reckless driving offenses, while Act 10 adds carjacking to the criminal code and increases penalties.

“Reckless driving and other dangerous behaviors are putting our kids, families, and communities at risk all across our state, and we must do more at the state level to address dangerous behavior on our roads,” Evers said.

BREAKING: Reckless driving and other dangerous behaviors are putting our kids, families, and communities at risk all across our state.

I was proud to sign two more bills today to combat reckless driving and keep our roads and our communities safe. pic.twitter.com/eSTtFkoa9K

— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) May 10, 2023

In April, Senate Bill 92, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 1, was signed into law. Act 1 gives law enforcement authority to impound a vehicle if the driver is cited for reckless driving and hasn’t paid the fine for previous citations of reckless driving, if the ordinance is enacted by local governments.

Evers said that the three new laws are a “good place to start” but advocated for his budget proposals, such as requiring ignition interlock devices for all alcohol-related motor vehicle offenses and providing funding for additional state patrol troopers and motor carrier inspectors.