Session: State Capitol, Room 423 Juneau, AK 99801-1182 Phone: (907) 465-4940 Fax: (907) 465-3766 Interim: 716 W 4th Avenue, Suite 450 Anchorage, AK 99501-2133 Phone: (907) 269-0106 Fax: (907) 269-0109 145 Main Steet Loop Kenai, AK 99611 Phone: (907) 283-7996 Fax: (907) 283-3075

Sponsor Statement for SB 177
Driving While Intoxicated: BAC Level/Fines

An Act relating to driving while intoxicated and to presumptions arising from the amount of alcohol in a person's breath or blood; and providing for an effective date.

Operating a motorized vehicle under the influence of alcohol is a major problem in Alaska and can no longer be tolerated. Alaska ranks No. 5 in the nation for alcohol related incidences and first in the minds of its citizens. This legislation reduces the amount of alcohol a person can have in their blood while operating a motorized vehicle. Senate Bill 177 lowers the standard of the blood alcohol content (BAC) from .10 to .08 and substantially increases fines for first time offenders to $1250. Significant research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has shown that drivers are substantially impaired at .08 blood alcohol content and that by lowering the blood alcohol content level to .08 the number of fatal drunk-driving accidents does decrease.

SB 177 goes a step further and lowers the legal limit of blood alcohol content to .04 for those with one prior DWI conviction. Those convicted of a second offence will loose their driving privileges for life and pay higher fines. There will be no second chance. Basically this is a zero tolerance law for convicted drunk drivers making it illegal for them to drive after drinking one drink.

Drunk drivers have for years heard the warnings and have ignored them. We can no longer tolerate the loss of life. It is time that drunk drivers are held accountable and take responsibility for their actions.

A study of hard-core drunken drivers -- repeat offenders whose blood-alcohol level is twice that allowed by law -- has found that such people may drive under the influence more than 1,000 times before they are caught. John C. Lawn, chairman of the Los Angeles-based Century Council, an anti-drunken driving group funded by leading distilleries, said the finding, although disturbing, was not a surprise to police or offenders. We found that the hard-core offender drives drunk for years, has heard all the warnings and just ignores them, "said Lawn, a former administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration. (Los Angeles Times)

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