CHEYENNE - Drunken driving convictions continue to rise in Wyoming, and could top 4,500 for the first time this year, state figures show.

"I think for 2008 we are going to see a rise again," said Tom Loftin, support services administrator for the Wyoming Department of Transportation, during testimony to the Legislature's Joint Interim Judiciary Committee on Monday.

Drunken driving convictions are increasing by an average of about 150 per year, putting Wyoming on track for 4,538 convictions in 2008, state figures show.

More than 3,100 people were convicted of drunken driving for the first time in 2007, up from 2,842 in 2006.

Repeat offenders are also on the rise. Nearly 980 people received a second drunken driving conviction in 2007, up from 883 in 2006.

The number of third-time drunken driving convictions rose to 278 in 2007, up from 244 in 2006.

If current trends continue, more than 1,000 people will be convicted of a second drunken-driving offense in 2008, and nearly 300 will be convicted of a third offense, figures show.

State officials attribute the increase in convicted drunken drivers to a number of factors including more funding and training for law enforcement, public pressure on law enforcement and an increased willingness by the public to report drunken drivers.

Other factors include the strong state economy, an increase in transient workers and the perception that drunken drivers often go undetected by law enforcement, officials said.

"We have a lot of work-hard, play-hard men and women who are coming into Wyoming," Loftin said.

State lawmakers defeated an attempt to strengthen drunken driving laws last year.

House Bill 73, which would have made it a felony to receive three drunken driving convictions in seven years, or five convictions in a lifetime, died in the Senate.

The bill also would have strengthened the penalties for second DUI offenses and made it optional for judges to require alcohol assessments for first-time offenders.

New legislation could be on the table when the Legislature meets in January.

Rep. Keith Gingery, R-Jackson, is crafting a bill that would address drunken driving penalties, according to other lawmakers at Monday's meeting.

The Joint Interim Judiciary Committee declined to sponsor the bill.

Rep. Mary Throne, D-Cheyenne, a member of the committee, said one idea that may be gaining some traction is mandatory ignition interlocks for repeat drunken drivers.

Ignition interlocks are devices that administer a sobriety breath test before the car will start. About 500 Wyoming residents convicted of drunken driving are already using them on a voluntary basis, and state officials said they appear to be working.

But some state lawmakers and advocates insist that the ongoing efforts to slowly adjust Wyoming's drunken driving laws isn't working.

They say it's time to take a fresh look at the way the state handles drunken driving offenses, using model legislation from other states.

"It's time to look at the whole issue comprehensively," Lorrie Pozarik, facilitator for the Governor's Council on Impaired Driving, told the committee.

Contact Jared Miller at (307) 632-1244 or jared.miller@trib.com.