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| ODOT News |
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More young Oregonians losing driving privileges
April 23, 2008
For more information, contact Shelley Snow (503) 986-3438 or David House (503) 945-5270
The increase is due, in part, to a new law that went into effect Jan. 1
Oregonians under age 21 should think twice about drinking alcohol – as of Jan. 1, they can lose their driver licenses without even getting into a car. Passed by the 2007 Oregon Legislature, the new law expands the power of courts to deny driving privileges to individuals age 18 to 20 who are convicted of possession, use or abuse of alcohol.
According to records at Driver and Motor Vehicles, during the first three months of 2008, there were 948 court denials of driving privileges for drug and alcohol violations compared to 596 during the first three months of 2007.
“Court denials from drug and alcohol convictions have nearly doubled so far this year, and the 18 - 20 year old age group seems to be accounting for this increase,” said Bill Merrill, DMV’s Driver Control Team manager. “Even if an individual doesn’t have a driver license or instruction permit, a suspension is still placed on the driver record.” That means he or she is ineligible to apply for driving privileges.
The purpose of the law is twofold: to discourage underage drinking and to help prevent driving under the influence of intoxicants.
“Driving under the influence is one of the top three factors in traffic fatalities in Oregon,” said Gretchen McKenzie, Impaired Driving Program coordinator for the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Safety Division. “And because new drivers are at higher risk for crashes than other age groups because of their lack of experience, adding intoxication to that is a dangerous combination.”
It may be some time before Oregon can measure the actual safety benefits of the new law.
“This is good news on the eve of Transportation Safety Month in Oregon, coming up in May,” McKenzie said. “But laws don’t physically prevent people from making unsafe choices. Individuals are still responsible for what they do. Suspensions and traffic fines discourage unsafe driving, but family and friends can play a huge role in encouraging safe choices.”
The new law, which went into effect Jan. 1, does give judges a new tool to use in encouraging minors not to drink or possess alcohol, and records show they are using it. Through March 31, DMV recorded the following for people age 18 to 20:
- Processed 362 suspensions.
- Suspended 305 individuals.
- 74 of the suspensions were repeat offenders.
- Implied consent or Blood Alcohol Content failure suspensions (not necessarily from the same incident): 26 individuals
- One individual was a 20-year-old who received his seventh court denial.
- One individual was a 19-year-old who received his fifth court denial.
- Half of the court denials suspensions processed since Jan. 1, 2008 were for the 18- to 20-year-old age group.
“It’s important to understand that you don't have to be caught drinking and driving to lose your driving privileges,” Merrill said. “If you're under 21 and drinking in a local park that you walked to with your friends, you'll still lose your driving privileges.”
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