Tennessee DUI Slogan draws criticisim from MADD
A Tennessee DUI slogan is drawing criticism from national organizations. Mother's against drunk driving believes the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's new slogan, "Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest," is sending the wrong message to drivers.
MADD argues that the slogan suggests that drinking and driving is OK as long as drivers don't exceed .08 percent blood alcohol content, the limit at which a driver is presumed drunk under Tennessee law.
Tennessee DUI law was changed in 2003 lowering the presumption of an impaired state from .10 to .08. "We shouldn't lull driver's into thinking it's OK to drive right up to that limit," a MADD spokesperson said. "It shouldn't be .07, you're not drunk, and as soon as you hit the magic number .08, you are."
A Tennessee-based advertising firm, The Tombras Group, compiled 500 possible replacement slogans by brainstorming, searching the Internet and polling states and the American Beverage Institute, said Alice Mathews, senior vice president for Tombras.
A narrowed list of 40 slogans went before focus groups, which whittled the list down to "Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest" and "Drunk driving. Do the crime. Do the time." U.S. Transportation Secretary Maria Cino made the final decision.
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