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ABI Calls Links Between Princess Diana and Drunk Driving Law 'Exploitive and Illogical'

4 September 1997

ABI Calls Links Between Princess Diana and Drunk Driving Law 'Exploitive and Illogical'

    WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 -- The attempt by Sen. Frank Lautenberg
(D-NJ) and Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NJ) to link the tragic death of Princess Diana
to the proposal to lower the drunk driving arrest threshold is both
"exploitive and illogical," said Rick Berman, general counsel of the American
Beverage Institute (ABI).
    "The tragedy of Princess Diana's death exposes the idiocy of the proposal
to lower the arrest threshold to .08% BAC (blood-alcohol concentration)," said
Mr. Berman.  "As the world now knows, Princess Diana was killed by a drunk
driver. Not a social drinker * but an alcohol abuser who was behind the wheel
despite being at nearly 400% of the arrest level for drunk driving. If
France's tough DWI laws were unable to prevent this tragedy, why should we
expect similar legislation to work here?"
    Research by the U.S. Department of Transportation shows that nearly two-
thirds of all alcohol related fatalities involve BACs of .14% or higher. Even
MADD President Katherine Prescott told The New York Times, the drunk driving
problem "may be down to a hard core of alcoholics who do not respond to public
appeals."
    "We know that the problem is the alcohol abuser who drives," said Berman
said.  "What we don't know is why Sen. Lautenberg and Rep. Lowey are ignoring
that and instead are targeting outlaw social drinking."
    According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the
proposed .08% BAC standard would make it illegal for a 120-lb. woman to drive
after drinking just two six-ounce glasses of wine over two hours.

SOURCE  American Beverage Institute