ADMINISTRATIVE LICENSE REVOCATION - ARE WE DRIVING DRUNKS OFF THE ROAD?

Administrative license revocation (ALR) is discussed, which allows police and state driver licensing officials to revoke or suspend the license of drivers who fail or refuse a chemical test for alcohol. Under these laws, the police can take a driver's license at the time of arrest, and the licensing authority can speed up the suspension/revocation process. ALR laws include an appeal process that protects the driver's right to due process. The article describes Nevada's ALR which is one of the more stringent in the United Sates. It is claimed that in Nevada, implementation of ALR led to a 41% decrease in alcohol-related fatalities. California's ALR is also discussed, and it is noted that during Labor Day weekend, 1991, the first year the law was in effect, highway fatalities in California dropped 10% compared with the 1990 holiday. The issue of civil rights violations associated with ALR is also discussed.