Impaired Driving
Advocates strongly supports measures to counter drunk driving, including bills introduced this Congress. Most recently, the surface transportation reauthorization legislation, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), was signed into law, Public Law 112-141. This new law includes incentive grant programs to encourage states to adopt stronger state impaired driving laws.
Newly enacted state impaired driving provisions include:
- Permits cooperative research to develop in-vehicle alcohol detection systems to prevent drivers with illegally high blood alcohol levels from driving motor vehicles.
- An incentive program that provides grant funds to states that require all individuals convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or driving while intoxicated to use alcohol ignition interlock devices (IIDs), and allows for high visibility law enforcement campaigns to deter drunk driving.
The Drunk Driving Repeat Offender Protection Act of 2011 (S.273/H.R.2129)
Sponsored by Sen. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Rep. Engel (D-NY), this bill would withhold federal-aid highway funds from states that do not enact laws requiring the installation of ignition interlock devices for all convicted first-time offenders who have driven over the legal .08 percent BAC limit. This legislation was referred to the relevant Senate and House Committees in 2011 and is awaiting further action.
Please click here for the text of the Senate version, S. 273.
Please click here for the text of the House version, H.R. 2129.
The Research of Alcohol Detection Systems for Stopping Alcohol-related Fatalities Everywhere (ROADS SAFE) Act of 2011 (S.510/H.R.2324)
Introduced by Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) and Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), the legislation calls for research on the feasibility of widespread use of in-vehicle technology to prevent alcohol-impaired driving. This legislation was referred to the relevant Senate and House Committees in 2011 and is awaiting further action.
Please click here for the text of the Senate version, S. 510.
Please click here for the text of the House version, H.R. 2324.
