Tough and sometimes controversial drunk driving laws rule the day

A new controversial drunk driving law in Utah is designed to stop underage drinkers from getting behind the wheel, but critics are debating whether the punishment fits the crime. Under the new statue, persons under the legal drinking age, 21, who take a drink of alcohol, even a drop, are breaking the law and committing a DUI, and could face suspension of their driver’s license for several years. The law does not take into consideration the state’s legal alcohol limit of .08. In cases involving minors, the limit is irrelevant. Any alcohol level in a minor who drives is illegal and results in a DUI. 

This is just one of several recent controversial or unusual new approaches to curbing drunk driving in the U.S. 

In Texas, police now have the power in some cases to collect blood samples without a warrant from drivers suspected of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. 

In New Mexico, lawmakers have passed legislation that makes it mandatory for anyone convicted of drunk driving to have an ignition lock device installed in their car or truck. Now legislators are considering whether judges could be permitted to require certain drivers convicted of a DUI to wear an electronic monitor that detects alcohol consumption. 

There are plenty of proposals that have been rejected, but many of these still suggest a low tolerance for those who drink and drive. 

Police in Huntington Beach, California have proposed posting the names and even pictures of offenders on its website to show it’s serious about enforcement. 

In Arizona, legislators are considering a bill that would make a 10-day jail sentence mandatory for first-time offenders convicted of operating a boat while drunk. 

And worldwide many drunk driving laws are far more humiliating in nature than any in the U.S. In Australia, names of DUI offenders are sometimes sent to newspapers and printed under the heading “Drunk and in Jail.” In Malaysia, the drunk driver is jailed, and his spouse is too. In South Africa first-time offenders have been known to face a 10-year prison sentence and a fine of $10,000. And in Turkey, there is evidence that some drunk drivers are taken 20 miles outside of town and forced to walk back under police escort.

American State-by-State Drunk Driving Laws

The United States has its own state by state drunk driving laws that vary in each. You should know the drinking and driving laws in every state that you plan to visit. All states in the U.S. have also instituted a “no tolerance” drunk driving policy; for underage drinkers as well. This is mostly to protect underage drinkers from themselves, and to protect the public from them. The legal drinking age varies by country. In the U.S., the legal drinking age is 21, whereas in Canada the legal drinking age is 19. In most countries, the legal drinking age is listed as 18. In countries such as: Georgia, Greece, Kenya and Tokelau the legal drinking age are 16. This includes both buying and consuming alcohol. 

Protect Yourself and Your Friends

There are ways to protect yourself from drunk drivers, but none of them are better than simply preventing your friends and loved ones from driving after they have had something to drink. You can also encourage them to use other forms of transportation, just in case. You should get to know the drinking laws in your state and any states that you plan to travel in while drinking; doing so can save you, your friends, and family members from being prosecuted under those laws. It may even save your life.