Alaska doesn't make the grade

In a telling report card released yesterday by the national Mothers Against Drunk Driving organization, Alaska was identified as one of the worst states in terms of drunk driving incidence.

Alaska was graded a D-. Montana was the only state to earn a failing grade, while Massachusetts shared the dubious distinction of earning a D- and "tie" Alaska as the second-worst state in the union.

The following sections are graded, along with the grades Alaska was given: governor, B+; State House, C+; State Senate, C-; BAC testing, data and records, C-; state law enforcement programs, D; administrative measures and criminal sanctions, C; underage drinking and drinking and driving controls, F; victim's issues, C; laws, D; fatality trends, F.

According to the national MADD office, 60 percent of each state's overall grade was based on its alcohol-related fatality trend and priority drunk driving laws.

The other 40 percent was based on political leadership, blood-alcohol testing and records, law enforcement programs, administrative measures and criminal sanctions, underage drinking prevention, and victim issues. In all of the categories, Alaska lagged behind the national marks.

The average grade for the nation was a "C."

"C is for complacency," said MADD National President Wendy J. Hamilton, who pointed out that while alcohol-related traffic deaths dropped by 40 percent between the time MADD was founded in 1980 and 1993, progress stalled as deaths leveled off at about 16,500 between 1993 and 1999. Over the past three years, drunk driving deaths have climbed by five percent.

"The nation should be acing this fight for our lives because drunk driving is 100 percent preventable," Hamilton said. "The nation's lower grade reflects the lack of political will, leadership and resources dedicated to waging a winning war on drunk driving."

There were 85 traffic deaths recorded in Alaska in 2001, and 43 of them were alcohol-related. The 50-percent rate is eclipsed only by Connecticut (51 percent), Washington D.C. (55 percent), Rhode Island (60 percent) and South Carolina (56 percent). North Dakota matched Alaska with a 50-percent rate of alcohol-related fatalities.

Leading the way on the report card was California, with a B+.