State gets high marks for safe driving laws

• By WILL SENTELL
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jan 13, 2009 - Page: 6A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Louisiana is among 15 states to have made progress in enacting key highway safety laws, a report issued on Monday says.

The 55-page study was done by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, based in Washington, D.C.

The group bills itself as one that represents consumer, health, safety and insurance interests to make roads safer.

The organization uses 15 laws on teenage driving, impaired driving, seat belts and motorcycle rules as its highway safety measuring stick.

Officials of the group want federal officials to pressure states to enact all 15. Doing so, they said, would trim street and highways deaths that totaled about 41,000 in 2007.

Louisiana won praise for its laws dealing with seat belts, motorcycle helmets, sobriety checkpoints and ignition interlock devices. The state got credit for parts of laws dealing with how teenagers get driver’s licenses and booster seats for youngsters.

“I am very pleased that we are this high,” Lt. Col. John LeBlanc, executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, said of the report.

However, Advocates said the state needs tougher laws on nighttime driving and passenger rules for new drivers; open container regulations and penalties for repeat drunken drivers.

LeBlanc said the state narrowly missed meeting the group’s criteria in a few areas.

He noted the group recommends nighttime restrictions for new drivers from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Louisiana imposes restrictions from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.

The report said Louisiana had 985 traffic fatalities in 2007.

Judith Lee Stone, president of the group, said federal officials need to pressure states because only 11 laws out of 344 “gaps” cited in last year’s report were addressed by lawmakers in 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Stone noted the federal government has previously pressured states to enact laws on drunken driving, including the maximum allowable blood alcohol content.