A New Mexico company is hoping to stop drunk drivers by stopping alcohol sales to anyone convicted of a DWI.According to New Mexico Business Weekly, the project would link state IDs or driver’s licenses at the point of the sale of alcohol (in a store or at a bar) with a state database of convicted drunk drivers.
Of course, there are countless problems with this theory, primarily that it isn’t illegal to serve alcohol to anyone who has a drunk driving conviction. There are a very small number of people who have court imposed alcohol restrictions for being problem drinkers with DUI convictions or other criminal issues. However, it still isn’t illegal to sell alcohol to such a person. If he or she violates probation by drinking, that is on him or her, not the retailer or bartender. And again, this is a tiny percentage of people, relative to those with DUI convictions.
So, assuming the state would be willing to provide DUI conviction data to this private company for this commercial enterprise, the use of such a system on the retailer side would be strictly voluntary.
While there are probably some establishments that would be willing to place this restriction on their customers, it probably isn’t many. And it’s hard to see how this extra expense is a business advantage.
Everyone is against driving drunk, but this neo-prohibitionist effort may even go to far for MADD. And that’s saying something.
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