Are Our Drunk Driving Laws Strict Enough?

A large number of Americans still believe that our drunk driving laws are not strict enough.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 46 percent of Americans believe our current drunk driving laws are not tough enough, but 39 percent believe they are just about right. Only 9 percent of surveyors feel our current state laws are too tough.

The survey of 1,000 adults nationwide was conducted November 9-10, 2012.

DUI laws are driven by individual states and the consequences vary greatly from state to state. For example, some states mandate an ignition interlock device with a first-time DUI offense, while other states don’t require one until the second or third DUI.  Fines, jail time and driver’s license suspensions also vary by jurisdiction.

However, with the passage of MAP-21 in July, states are working to pass more stringent laws to combat drunk driving in their jurisdictions.  On July 6th of this year President Obama signed a bill called MAP -21 (Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century) into law. With the passage of MAP-21, all states are now provided funding to help them implement their ignition interlock programs.

Do you think your state’s drunk driving laws are strict enough?