Photo by StationStart.com

Don’t drink and drive. That much should be apparent to everyone at this point. But if it’s not, a new D.C. law mandating stiffer punishments for drunk driving that takes effect tomorrow certainly should.

Under the provisions of the new law, a first-time DUI could face up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, up from 90 days and a $300 fine. If those first-time offenders have a blood alcohol concentration of .20 percent or higher, a mandatory sentence of 10 days is applied, up from five days. For .25 percent the mandatory sentence goes from 10 to 15 days and for .30 percent it hits 20 days.

Things get worse for offenders driving with a child in the car—they’ll face a mandatory five-day jail sentence if the kid is in a child-restraint seat, and 10 days if not. Commercial vehicle operators will also face stricter scrutiny, with their BAC threshold being set at .04 percent. Regular drivers have a .08 percent threshold.

The new law will also create a mandatory scientific oversight of MPD’s breath-testing program, which was stopped in 2011 when it was revealed that the breathalyzer machines were not properly calibrated. Some 400 people were convicted for drunk driving after being tested by the machines, and many of those cases had to be dismissed. New machines have been purchased, and are currently undergoing final tests.