Rhode Island Approves Graduated Drivers License Bill But Fails To Lower Legal Blood Alcohol Level

The Rhode Island Senate this week overwhelmingly approved S2151, a graduated drivers license bill, which will establish a three-step drivers' rights program for teen drivers to earn their full licenses. This tiered system will promote safer teen driving and provides more time for youthful drivers to earn behind-the-wheel experience by requiring them to be accompanied by a licensed driver. The tiered licensing provision has so far been adopted by 14 states.

Speaking on behalf of the National Association of Independent Insurers (NAII), a non-profit trade association representing more than 560 property-casualty insurance companies nationwide, Joseph J. Annotti, assistant vice president of public affairs for the NAII, said, "We're pleased that the Senate recognizes the importance of phasing in teen driving privileges as a way to reduce the crash-related deaths of young people."

Annotti was less enthusiastic about House Bill 7506 however, the lowered blood alcohol bill, that passed the House after an amendment. The original bill would have reduced Rhode Island's legal blood-alcohol limit from .10 to .08, a move supported by Governor Almond and consumer organizations including Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and Students Against Driving Drunk (SADD). But after intensive pressure from the liquor industry, legislators amended the bill to mandate the reduction only if the federal government adopts a .08 threshold--a move that most insiders consider unlikely.

"Reform measures such as graduated drivers licenses (GDL) work best when coupled with a reduced tolerance of high blood alcohol concentrations (BAC)," Annotti said. "By refusing to aggressively address the drunk-driver side of the equation, and going against the opinion of a vast majority of voters, legislators are offering only a half-hearted version of reform. And it's more likely that a lot of people will continue to die on Rhode Island's highways."

Statistics show a strong correlation between blood alcohol levels and highway fatalities, Mr. Annotti said. According to the NAII, more than 80 percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes had, on average, blood alcohol levels of .08 or more. Among drivers who aren't legally permitted to buy alcohol, 24 percent of fatally injured drivers in 1996 had blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) at or above .10, according to the most recent statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. For all drivers, in 1996, 33 percent of those fatally injured had BACs of .10 or more.

"In study after study, the numbers prove it: Drivers with high BACs are statistically more likely to die in a car crash," Mr. Annotti said. "More states are recognizing this, and amending their BAC laws to a lower tolerance."