Connecticut in Danger of Losing Federal Funds for Non-Compliance with DUI Laws
The federal government provides funding to states for highway safety projects, including road improvement, bridge construction and public education. This federal funding, however, does not come without some strings attached. One of the things that states must do is comply with federal mandates intended to curb the number of drunk drivers.
Recently, however, an article in USA Today indicated that as many as two-thirds of states are not living up to their end of the deal as far as taking steps to combat drunk driving. These states could have some of their federal funds directed toward either anti-drunk driving programs or targeted highway safety improvement efforts. Our Hartford, CT accident attorneys were disheartened to see that Connecticut made the list of states that are not in compliance with federal requirements.
Connecticut Not Complying with Federal Drunk Driving Safety Requirements
According to the USA Today article, Congress updated the requirements last year that states must comply with in order to meet federal standards on efforts to combat drunk driving. The chief operating officer of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials also indicates that the federal government has now tightened the way in which requirements are applied, making it more difficult for states to fulfill their obligations.
Some of the different laws that the federal government looks at include state open container laws and laws on repeat offenders, both of which are important laws intended to curb drunk driving and to make sure that offenders face sufficient penalties to act as a strong deterrent for drunk driving.
When a state fails to comply, a certain amount of federal funds must be redirected toward drunk-driving efforts. For Connecticut, USA Today reports that the amount of money that must be diverted is $10.15 million. This is money that could otherwise have gone to general road or bridge construction but that now must be diverted as a result of the state’s lax drunk driving laws, which the federal government contends do not measure up.
Despite the federal government’s effort to force states to take further steps to combat drunk driving, USA Today also indicates that some locations are looking for a back door in order to put the money back to use for general construction projects. The vice president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, for example, indicates that it’s too easy for states to shift the restricted funds back into general construction work.
Some states may take advantage of this loophole, especially as there are certain locations that expressed anger to USA Today that their laws previously passed muster with NHTSA but are now being declared inadequate. Connecticut, however, was not one of the states that indicated displeasure within the article. The hope, therefore, is that Connecticut will tighten up its drunk driving laws to comply with federal standards and that it will put the restricted federal money to good use to improve highway safety and discourage intoxicated drivers from taking to the road.
If you’ve been in an accident, contact the Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone & Morelli, at 1-800-WIN-WIN-1.