It’s good to see lawmakers get tough on people who pump and run.

A new law, which takes effect Aug. 1, will allow authorities to suspend the driver’s licenses of convicted gas thieves for a month. It comes as service stations report a 30-percent rise statewide in fueling and fleeing.

It won’t stop at a suspension, either. Gas scofflaws would also be hit with the usual misdemeanor criminal penalties, which can bring fines and jail time.

Minnesota has tried to combat the problem before by allowing pump owners to go after non-payers in civil court, which is an easier alternative to criminal prosecution.

But obviously, that’s not enough, because the state’s 3,200 gas stations lose about $2.4 million a year &045; or about $750 each &045; to drive-offs. Smaller stations simply can’t afford the losses. The costs eventually get passed onto consumers, which means we all lose.

The spike in thefts corresponds with jumps in gas prices, which means people who simply get distracted, forget to pay and later come back likely aren’t to blame.

There is also a safety concern because some thieves simply drop the nozzle while it’s running, which can leave a gas puddle that could go up in flames.

Minnesota isn’t the first state to pass such a law; more than half of all states suspend licenses in drive-off cases.

We hope this law with more teeth will discourage the urge to pump and run.