STATEMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY RODNEY SLATER ON ENACTMENT OF ANTI-DRUNK DRIVING MEASURES

Topics:  Rodney E. Slater

U.S. Department of Transportation
July 22, 1998

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 22, 1998
Contact: Bill S. Adams
Tel.: (202) 366-5580
DOT 137-98

Today, President Clinton signed into law the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act, which establishes new protections for America’s taxpayers. This law includes amendments related to the TEA-21 transportation legislation signed by the President last month. Importantly, it adds tough new measures to help states fight drunk driving. These measures reflect the President’s commitment to safety, his highest transportation priority.

The new measures encourage states to establish minimum penalties for repeat drunk-driving offenders and to ban people from driving with open alcoholic beverage containers. Both measures will help us continue to fight drunk driving and save lives, building on the progress which saw alcohol-related traffic deaths drop to a record low last year.

These measures complement $500 million in incentive grants to encourage states to adopt tough 0.08 blood alcohol concentration standards, a key provision of TEA-21. Congress inadvertently had not included the repeat offender and open container initiatives when it passed TEA-21, but agreed to incorporate both measures into the IRS restructuring legislation.

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