Support for Alcohol Law Enforcement to Prevent Impaired Driving

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is responsible for reducing vehicle-related fatalities and injuries on our nation's highways. States are responsible for laws regulating individual conduct and behavior within their jurisdictions. This includes the regulation of impaired driving.

In 2018, there were 36,550 motor vehicle fatalities and 29 percent of them involved an alcohol-impaired driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 grams per deciliter or more[1]. Licensed drinking establishments have long been recognized as high risk locations for contributing to alcohol related problems, including impaired driving. Among adults who self-reported binge drinking, about 54 percent of binge drinking episodes took place in a bar, club, or restaurant, compared to 36 percent in homes and 10 percent elsewhere[2]. Recent research has found that binge drinkers are also more likely to drive after drinking on premise at licensed establishments[3].

NHTSA supports law enforcement to deter, detect, and arrest DWI offenders. Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) agencies oversee the issuance, regulation, compliance, and enforcement of liquor licenses and laws. These agencies, therefore, play a valuable role in preventing impaired driving. ALE Agencies enforce laws that impact impaired driving such as: underage drinking, sales to intoxicated persons (SIP), and over service laws. ALE Agencies also investigate establishments to ensure alcohol sales are adhering to state alcohol laws and conduct source investigations to determine where alcohol was purchased and/or consumed when an alcohol-impaired driving or underage drinking and driving crash has occurred. Lastly, in addition to alcohol, some ALE agencies are regulating cannabis, which may have similar impacts on the prevention of drug impaired driving.

The purpose of the Cooperative Agreement (CA) is to develop and measure the effectiveness of a demonstration program that improves training and technical assistance available to Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) Agencies[1]. ALE agencies oversee the issuance, regulation, compliance, and enforcement of liquor licenses and laws. These agencies play a role in enforcing alcohol laws and reducing impaired driving. NHTSA will provide assistance to support monitoring new and emerging issues among ALE agencies regarding the enforcement of alcohol laws as it pertains to preventing impaired driving. The Recipient will provide tools such as in-person and web-based education and training to ALE agencies to support reducing impaired driving. In addition, the Recipient may support the ALE community in the following areas:

• Collaboration with State and local law enforcement officials on the shared task of preventing impaired driving (e.g. underage drinking, over service);
• Dissemination of empirically supported methods, tools, and products developed under the Agreement aimed at improving regulation, compliance, and enforcement of liquor licenses and laws; and
• Alcohol and drug impaired driving related data collection (e.g. Place of last drink).