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MADD’s Push for Breathalyzers Blows Wisconsin’s Drunk Driving Fight Off Course

American Beverage Institute Says Interlocks for Low-BAC, First-Time Offenders Won’t Address The Real Drunk Driving Problem
August 18, 2008

WASHINGTON – Today the American Beverage Institute (ABI) denounced Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s (MADD) call to mandate the installation of breathalyzers in the cars of low-BAC (blood alcohol concentration), first-time offenders.

The ABI further advocated in favor of targeting high-BAC drivers and repeat offenders, who comprise the core of today’s drunk driving problem.
 
“By advocating for mandatory breathalyzers for first time offenders, regardless of their BAC level, MADD is ignoring the root cause of today’s drunk driving problem – hard-core alcohol abusers,” said ABI spokeswoman Sarah Longwell.
 
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that the average BAC of a drunk driver in a fatal car crash is 0.19% -- more than double the legal limit. Additionally, a NHTSA administrator has said that today’s problem is “by far and away” made up of “those who have alcohol use disorders.”
 
Former MADD president Katherine Prescott has made similar statements, saying that the drunk driving problem has been reduced to “a hard core of alcoholics who do not respond to public appeal.”
 
But MADD’s proposal for expanded interlock use in Wisconsin fails to target these dangerous offenders. Instead, the legislation would force low-BAC, first-time DUI offenders -- even those just one sip over the legal limit -- to install breathalyzers in their cars.
 
“With Wisconsin’s drunk driving limit set at 0.08% BAC, MADD’s proposal would mandate that drivers install a breathalyzer in their car for behavior that, according to numerous studies, impairs them less than driving while talking on a hands-free cell phone,” said Longwell. “A 120 pound woman can reach the 0.08% BAC level by having two glasses of wine in two hours. Should she receive the same punishment as someone with a 0.19% BAC level or multiple offenses?"
 
“MADD’s proposal won’t help solve the drunk driving problem in Wisconsin,” she said, “because it targets the wrong people.”
 
To learn more, read our guest column on interlocks in Sunday’s Green Bay Press Gazette and visit www.AmericanBeverageInstitute.com. For further information or to arrange an interview please call Sarah Kapenstein at (202) 463-7110.