Advocating impaired driver laws: the adoption of 0.08 BAC in Indian country.

Impaired driving is the most frequently committed violent crime in America. American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) die from alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes at rates two or three times higher than other Americans. It is estimated that 65 percent of all motor vehicle deaths involving AI/ANs are alcohol-related. This article looks at a proposed initiative to establish 0.08 blood alcohol content (BAC) as the legal limit for impaired driving. In 1998, federal legislation authorized more than $700 million in federal incentive grants to states over the next six years to combat drinking and driving. New incentive programs are aimed at increasing the use of safety belts and promoting the enactment and enforcement of 0.08 BAC as the national legal limit for impaired driving. Tribal governments have been encouraged to adopt, enforce, and publicize a 0.08 BAC standard on highways in Indian Country that are subject to tribal jurisdiction. Adoption of the 0.08 BAC standard by tribes will create opportunities for these tribes to receive federal funding. These federal grants can be used to implement programs to reduce the incidence of impaired driving and motor vehicle-related injuries. Health care providers must advocate for the adoption and enforcement of 0.08 BAC laws in Indian Country. The morbidity and mortality associated with impaired driving in Indian Country is preventable, and the adoption of 0.08 BAC laws by tribes is an important step in reducing the alcohol-related injuries in Indian communities.