| The first law against drunk driving was passed in New | | | | relaxed attitude towards driving while intoxicated. They |
| York in 1910. Before long, every state in the US had | | | | successfully pressured most states into lowering their |
| banned driving a car while intoxicated, which is | | | | maximum BAC to .10. Now, due to the influence of the |
| presumably more dangerous that riding a horse in the | | | | federal government, all states have a maximum BAC |
| same state. These early laws did not specify a | | | | of .08. |
| maximum BAC (blood alcohol concentration) or | | | | Other important changes to the law followed. MADD's |
| describe tests to be administered to the person | | | | involvement was one of the factors contributing to |
| accused of drunk driving. They merely stated that one | | | | congress's decision to raise the drinking age back to |
| should not drive drunk and left it to police officers and | | | | 21. Of course, MADD was not the only group paying |
| judges to enforce this how they saw fit. | | | | attention to this issue. From the 1970's until now, people |
| The first maximum BAC for driver was set in 1938: | | | | have become more concerned and less tolerant of |
| that year, it became illegal to drive with a BAC over .15, | | | | DWI offenses. Sobriety checkpoints have become |
| or 15%. This number was based on studies conducted | | | | acceptable, when at one point they were widely |
| by the American Medical Association and the National | | | | considered unfair or even unconstitutional. For drivers |
| Safety council, who both agreed that research | | | | under the age of 21, the BAC has been lowered to .01, |
| showed a person with a BAC under .15 could still drive | | | | because legally they should not be drinking at all (even |
| reasonably well. | | | | though in some states, such as Texas, minors are |
| This remained the law throughout most of the US until | | | | allowed to drink in the presence of a legal guardian.) |
| the 1970's. At that time activist groups such as | | | | One current controversy in DWI law is the question of |
| Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) began | | | | the role law enforcement is meant to play in |
| campaigning for stricter DWI laws and more vigilant | | | | addressing this problem. If a person is convicted of |
| enforcement. Prior to this time, DWI was not | | | | driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, |
| considered an overly serious offense, and police | | | | should they be punished or rehabilitated? Is the |
| officers would not always enforce it very strictly. | | | | punishment approach failing to effectively address the |
| MADD (and its student group, SADD) felt that too | | | | problem, or is the rehabilitation approach merely letting |
| many preventable deaths were resulting from this | | | | people off too easy? |