The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration encourages states to require prompt, mandatory revocation or suspension of driver's licenses for alcohol and/or other drug test failure and/or refusal. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading single cause of death for Americans aged 6 through 33, and almost 40% of those fatalities involve alcohol and/or other drugs. Suspending or revoking a driver's license for driving while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs has proven to be a successful deterrent to this behaviour. Administrative license revocation (ALR) laws are based on objective chemical tests (blood, breath, or urine) and are similar to "illegal per se" criminal laws against impaired driving. ALR allows police and driver licensing authorities to suspend or revoke a driver's license swiftly, without long delays while waiting for a criminal trial. The offender retains the right of due process through an administrative appeal system. ALR works like the "implied consent" laws, which automatically suspend a driver's license for refusing to submit to a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) test. ALR automatically suspends or revokes the license for failing the BAC test. This Fact Sheet presents additional information about this topic under the following headings: Key Facts; What Provisions Should Be Included in an Administrative Revocation (Suspension) Law; How Much Does An Administrative License Revocation (Suspension) Program Cost; How Can Administrative License Revocation (Suspension) Be Financed; Who Supports Administrative License Revocation (Suspension); Incentive Grant Program; Research Studies; and Information Sources. (Author/publisher)
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