When Did Drunk Driving Become Illegal?

The First Drunk Driving Laws

Drunk driving became illegal in 1910. New York made the first law against drunk driving in America. But these early laws are very different from today's laws.

Timeline: How Drunk Driving Laws Changed

1910: The First Drunk Driving Law

• New York passed the first drunk driving law in America
• The law just said you can't drive while "drunk"
• There was no way to test how drunk someone was

1920-1930s: Other States Are Clued in on Drunk Driving

• Other states started making similar laws
• Still no good way to test drunk driving
• Punishments were light - usually just small fines
• Most people didn't think drunk driving was that dangerous

1938: First Drunk Driving Breath Test

• Scientists created the first breath test machine
• Now police could measure how drunk someone was
• This was the start of modern drunk driving enforcement
• But the machines were big and hard to use

1950s: Drunk Driving Blood Tests Start

• Doctors started using blood tests to measure alcohol
• These tests were more accurate than breath tests
• Laws started setting specific alcohol limits
• But testing was still not common

1966: First National Drunk Driving Safety Law

• Congress passed the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act
• This made the federal government care about drunk driving
• States had to start keeping better records
• More money went to studying drunk driving

1970: BAC Drunk Driving Limits Set

• States started setting 0.10% BAC as the legal limit
• BAC means Blood Alcohol Content - how much alcohol is in your blood
• Breath tests got smaller and easier to use
• More people were being arrested for drunk driving

1984: Federal Drunk Driving Pressure

• Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act
• States had to raise drinking age to 21 or lose highway money
• This reduced drunk driving by young people
• Federal government started pushing for stricter laws

1990: Tougher Drunk Driving Laws

• Driving license suspension laws passed
• Police could take your license immediately if you failed a test
• Ignition interlock devices were invented
• These devices won't let your car start if you've been drinking

2000: Drunk Driving Becomes More Strict

• Congress said states must lower BAC limit to 0.08%
• This was down from 0.10% in most states
• States that didn't change would lose highway money
• All 50 states changed their laws by 2005

2005: All States at 0.08%

• All 50 states now had 0.08% BAC limit
• This became the standard across America
• Drunk driving deaths continued to decline

2010s-Present: New Drunk Driving Detection Technology

• Better breath test machines and blood tests
• More ignition interlock devices required
• More police officers trained to detect drunk driving

Why Laws Changed Over Time

More Cars = More Problems

In 1910, not many people had cars. As more people started driving, drunk driving became a bigger problem.

Better Understanding of Drunk Driving

Scientists learned more about how alcohol affects the body and driving ability. This helped create better laws.

Tragic Stories of Drunk Driving

When famous people or children died in drunk driving crashes, it made people demand tougher laws.

What This Means for You Today

Understanding this history helps you see why drunk driving laws are so strict now. The laws exist because:

• Drunk driving kills thousands of people every year
• It took a decade to develop effective ways to try to stop it
• The penalties are designed to save lives

Today, we have tools that people in 1910 couldn't imagine. Our BAC calculator can help you understand how alcohol affects your body. We also know much more about how long alcohol stays in your system.

Summary

Drunk driving became illegal over 100 years ago in 1910, but the laws we know today developed slowly.

1. 1910: First drunk driving law in New York
2. 1938: First scientific breath test
3. 1980s: Federal involvement and stricter enforcement
4. 2005: All states adopt 0.08% BAC limit
5. Present: Continuing improvements with technology

This evolution shows how society has learned that drunk driving is serious. The laws have saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

Use tools like our BAC calculator to make smart decisions, but remember that the safest choice is always to avoid driving after drinking any amount of alcohol.