Utah saw the sharpest increase of alcohol-related traffic deaths of all 50 states in the last year, but still had the least in the country.
The state led the nation with 24 percent of traffic deaths involving alcohol, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. But that number is up from 15 percent in 2003.
The NHTSA pointed to Utah’s tough drunk-driving laws as the main reason for the low rate of alcohol-related traffic deaths and blamed a demographics shift where more non-LDS people moved to Utah after the 2002 Olympic Games for the increase.
Utah’s DUI laws are meant to stop deaths before they start, said Sgt. Larry Wehrli, a state trooper who patrols a small section of Salt Lake County. In Utah, driving under the influence is a class B misdemeanor. A first offense carries with it a 90-day license suspension, but offenders can be slapped with a 6-month jail sentence.
“We don’t mess around with it,” said Sgt. Wehrli, who has seen at least 100 fatal accidents due to alcohol in his 20 years on the force. “We don’t take it as teenager or boyhood pranks. It’s a serious criminal offense and people need to understand that they carry their criminal record with them for the rest of their lives,” Wehrli said.
Nationwide, the average for alcohol-related traffic deaths has been on the decline for two years, seeing a decrease of 2.4 percent last year.
Iowa earned the number two position with a rate of 28 percent of alcohol-related traffic deaths. They, too, have stringent drunk-driving laws.
On the other end of the spectrum, Rhode Island had the worst record in the nation, with half of all traffic deaths involving alcohol. Montana, Hawaii, Louisiana and Texas did slightly better with 46 percent.
Utah has a history of tough drunk-driving laws, such as being the first state to institute a .08 percent Blood Alcohol Level limit in 1967, at a time when most states had limits of .10 percent. Utah also has an “implied consent law,” which means that that those possessing a drivers’ license automatically agree to take an alcohol test if a police officer demands it. Drivers can refuse the test, but by doing so they receive an 18-month license suspension. The second time a test is refused, offenders get their license revoked for 10 years.
These strict laws mean Utah’s state troopers spend a large amount of their time enforcing them. Sgt. Wehrli said his unit has arrested 600 people for driving under the influence so far this year. Last year alone, more than 14,000 people were arrested for driving under the influence statewide.
And the law is not any easier on younger drivers. Utah has a zero-tolerance policy for underage drivers when it comes to alcohol and drugs. Drivers younger than 21 are not allowed to have any alcohol whatsoever in their systems while behind the wheel. Last year, nearly 800 underage drivers were arrested under that law, according to an email sent by Teri Pectol, a program manager at the Utah Department of Highway Safety.
“We have a lot of people who feel that as far as they’re concerned it’s OK to drink and drive, which is absolutely insane,” Wehrli said.
2004 At a Glance
Lowest:
- Utah - 24
- Iowa - 28
- Alaska – 31
- Georgia – 32
- Indiana – 32
- Kansas – 32
- Kentucky – 32
- Minnesota – 32
- Vermont – 32
Highest:
- Rhode Island – 50
- Montana – 46
- Hawaii – 46
- Louisiana – 46
- Texas – 46
- Illinois – 45
- Maryland – 45
- Wisonsin – 45
Copyright Brigham Young University 12 Oct 2005
