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GENERAL GOVERNMENT oCOMMITTE
REPORT (Misc. #98052) April 23, 1998
BY: GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE, NANCY DINGELDEY,
CHAIRPERSON
IN RE: MR #98052 - REDUCTION OF THE BLOOD ALCOHOL CONTENT
STANDARD FOR AUTOMATIC DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED
CONVICTIONS TO .08%
TO THE OAKLAND COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen:
The General Government Committee, having met on April 6, 1998,
recommends that the above-titled resolution be adopted with the
sixth WHEREAS paragraph deleted and replaced with the following:
WHEREAS while opposing proposed forced federal
mandates through economic sanctions, the Board of
Commissioners urges the State of Michigan to adopt the
.081, Blood Alcohol Content standards.
Chairperson, on behalf of the General Government Committee, I
move acceptance of the foregoing report.
GENERAL GOVERNMENT: Motion carried on a roll call vote with
Garfield voting no.
I.
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Miscellaneous Resolution # 980_52_ _
BY: Commissioner Ruth A. Johnson, District #1
RE: Reduction of the Blood Alcohol Content Standard for Automatic Driving While
Intoxicated Convictions to .08%
TO: Oakland County Board of Commissioners
Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen:
WHEREAS, Every year, more than 17,000 people are killed and more than a million
others are injured in alcohol-related traffic crashes in the United States. In
1996, 3,700 people were killed in alcohol-related traffic crashes involving
Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) levels below .10%; and
WHEREAS, Over 80% of drivers involved in fatal crashes with positive BACs had levels
exceeding .08%. The fatality risk for drivers involved in vehicle crashes with
BACs between .05 and .09 is over 11 times greater than for drivers with a
zero BAC; and
WHEREAS, In the United States, drivers with BAC levels between .08 and .09 percent,
kill an estimated 1,000 people per year. In Michigan, last year, alcohol was
involved in 36% of the fatal car crashes--killing over 500 people; and
WHEREAS, Presently, 34 states and the District of Columbia define drunk driving at the
.10% BAC level -- the most lenient definition of drunk driving in the
industrialized world. Most industrialized nations have adopted .08 or .05
BAG as their standard for drunk driving, including Italy, France, England,
Ireland and Germany which are renowned for their production of beer and
wine; and
WHEREAS, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched a
campaign to encourage states to reduce their Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)
standard for automatic Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) conviction to 0.08%.
It is estimated that if every state adopted .08 BAC laws, 500 to 600 lives
would be saved each year; and
WHEREAS, Following overwhelming support, the United States Congress passed federal
legislation called the Safe and Sober Streets Act of 1997 (S. 412 and H.R.
981) which strongly urges all states to lower the legal definition of drunk
driving to a .08 BAG by Fiscal Year 2001; and
WHEREAS, Thirteen states and Canada have already adopted Blood Alcohol Content
(BAG) standards of 0.08%: Alabama, California, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas,
Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah,
Vermont and Virginia.
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NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners
supports lowering the legal definition of drunk driving from the present .10%
to .08% Blood Alcohol Concentration in the State of Michigan; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners urge the
Michigan legislature to enact legislation to define an individual who has an
alcohol concentration level of 0.08 percent or greater as being intoxicated
while operating a motor vehicle in the State of Michigan; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be sent to all state legislators
from Oakland County, and to the County's State Legislative Liaison, the
Michigan Association of Counties, the Michigan Townships Association, the
Michigan Municipal League, all other counties in this state, and to all
Oakland County municipalities.
Chairperson, I move the adoption of the foregoing Resolution.
bmmission !Nth A. Johnson
District #1
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Resolution #98052 March 19, 1998
The Chairperson referred the resolution to the General Government
Committee. There were no objections.
Resolution #98052 April 23, 1998
Moved by Dingeldey supported by Coleman the General Government Committee
Report be accepted.
A sufficient majority having voted therefor, the report was accepted.
Moved by Dingeldey supported by Coleman the resolution be adopted.
Moved by Dingeldey supported by Coleman the resolution be amended to
coincide with the recommendation in the General Government Committee Report.
A sufficient majority having voted therefor, the amendment carried.
Vote on resolution, as amended:
AYES: Huntoon, Jacobs, Jensen, Johnson, Kaczmar, Kingzett, Law, McCulloch,
McPherson, Millard, Moffitt, Obrecht, Palmer, Powers, Schmid, Taub, Wolf, Amos,
Coleman, Devine, Dingeldey, Douglas, Garfield, Gregory, Holbert. (25)
NAYS: None. (0)
A sufficient majority having voted therefor, the resolution, as amended,
was adopted.
STATE OF MICHIGAN)
COUNTY OF OAKLAND)
I, Lynn D. Allen, Clerk of the County of Oakland, do hereby certify that the
foregoing resolution is a true and accurate copy of a resolution adopted by the
Oakland County Board of Commissioners on April 23, 1998 with the original record
thereof now remaining in my office.
In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the
County of Oakland at Pontiac, Michigan this 23rd day Aril 1.298. C$61118
LynnfD. Allen, County Clerk