Opinion ID: 1136584
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Highway Safety

Text: As its important governmental objective justifying the challenged statutes' classification of persons on the basis of age, the State argues prohibiting the purchase and sale of alcoholic beverages to those between eighteen and twenty-one years old will improve highway safety, reduce the incidence of driving while intoxicated (DWI) among persons in that age group, and reduce the number of injury and fatality automobile accidents in that age group. Before discussing the evidence introduced by the State in support of its highway safety justification, however, it is first necessary to explain why the only potentially legitimate justification offered by the State is the improvement of highway safety in general. As previously noted, the State argues that prohibiting the purchase by and sale to eighteen to twenty year olds of alcoholic beverages will improve highway safety, reduce the incidence of driving while intoxicated among persons in that age group, and reduce the number of injury and fatality automobile accidents in that age group. Arguing that reducing the incidence of driving while intoxicated of eighteen to twenty year olds and reducing the number of injury and fatality accidents involving eighteen to twenty year olds are important governmental objectives which are substantially furthered by prohibiting the purchase or sale of alcohol by or to that very group, however, is both circular and illegitimate. First, targeting a specific group of adults for reduction of DWI's and alcohol related accidents in that group begs the question of whether there is a legitimate reason which is not arbitrary, capricious, or unreasonable for so classifying or targeting that group in the first place. Second, as the statistics submitted by both sides show, every age group of licensed drivers has some incidence of driving while intoxicated and some number of alcohol related fatality and injury accidents. Obviously, prohibiting the purchase or sale of alcohol by or to any specific age group will lead to a reduction of the incidence of driving while intoxicated and the number of alcohol related accidents in that age group. This, however, does not in any way explain or justify the initial selection of that group for discriminatory classification and treatment. Finally, the reasoning in support of these particular objectives is circular. In the challenged statutes, the State classifies the target group solely on the basis of age, then attempts to justify the classification by showing the benefits which will accrue to that age group by so classifying them and by claiming that that classification substantially furthers an important governmental objective, which is to reduce the incidence of DWI's and alcohol related accidents among that age group. The legitimacy of this classification, however, is exactly what is at issue. Under this line of reasoning, there would be no reason why the State could not choose any age group and justify prohibiting the purchase or sale of alcoholic beverages to that age group by simply asserting that the law will reduce DWI's and alcohol related accidents for that group. Because these purported governmental objectives are invalid, there is only one remaining legitimate important governmental objective which the State can argue is substantially furthered by the age classification contained in the challenged statutes: highway safety in general. As previously stated, in determining whether the State has carried its burden of proving the presumptively unconstitutional age classification contained in the challenged statutes is not arbitrary, capricious, or unreasonable because it substantially furthers the important governmental objective of highway safety, we will examine the record in the instant case for evidence as to the following factors: whether the State's objective of highway safety is directly implicated by the age classification; whether there are any reasonable non-discriminatory alternatives to the age classification by which the State could satisfy its objective; whether and, if so, the extent to which the challenged age classification undercuts any countervailing state interests. Pace, 94-1027 at 11-14, 648 So.2d at 1309-10. Furthermore, because the instant case involves discrimination against a particular age group, we also examine the record to determine whether the age group contained in the challenged statutes will produce the largest improvement in highway safety, i.e., to determine whether eighteen to twenty year olds are responsible for the greatest number of alcohol related accidents and/or DWI's. This is so because, as previously noted, a prohibition on the purchase and sale of alcohol by or to any specific age group will necessarily lead to some improvement in highway safety. Therefore, unless the evidence justifies the State's designation of the particular age group at issue for discriminatory treatment by showing that that group is the group most responsible for the problem addressed in the statutes, the State would be free to select any age group for such discriminatory treatment. Finally, we examine the record to determine whether the eighteen to twenty year old age group is the group responsible for the greatest number of these types of accidents in Louisiana, as the State's objective is to improve highway safety in Louisiana, and Louisiana is the only place in which the State's discriminatory classification will have effect. With these precepts in mind, we now turn to an examination of the evidence presented. The State introduced affidavits from James Hedlund, Acting Associate Administrator for Traffic Safety Programs, and Director of the Office of Alcohol and State Programs, NHTSA, and Bette Theis, Executive Director for the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, each of which contained exhibits in the form of statistical studies of alcohol involved accidents, as well as testimony from Capt. Ronald B. Jones, Commander of Troop A of the Louisiana State Police, who was qualified as an expert in traffic enforcement and policy development, and Dr. Richard Scribner, an expert in public health, who also relied on a 1987 Governmental Accounting Office study evaluating other statistical studies of alcohol involved accidents. A review of this evidence shows the following. Mr. Hedlund's affidavit, relying on statistical data obtained by NHTSA through their Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) and from reports studying age twenty-one drinking law effectiveness, asserts that age-21 drinking laws have been proven to save lives and that FARS data and the studies show an over-involvement of eighteen to twenty year olds in alcohol related crashes. He states FARS data and the studies show that: (1) in 1994, 44% of eighteen to twenty year old traffic fatalities were alcohol related, as compared to 40.8% for all traffic fatalities; (2) alcohol related traffic fatality rates, on a per capita basis, are over twice as great for eighteen to twenty year olds as for the population over twenty one; (3) in 1994, more eighteen to twenty year olds died in low blood alcohol level (.01 to .09) traffic accidents than any other three year age group; and (4) in 1994, Louisiana had the fourth highest percentage of alcohol related traffic fatalities of fifteen to twenty year olds of all States. Mr. Hedlund's affidavit also refers to: (1) a Governmental Accounting Office (GAO) report to Congress, Drinking Age LawsAn Evaluation Synthesis of Their Impact On Highway Safety, March 1987, which concludes on the basis of the report's review of fourteen leading traffic accident studies that raising the drinking age has a direct effect on reducing alcohol related traffic accidents among youth affected by such laws; (2) a 1989 NHTSA study, The Impact of Minimum Drinking Age Laws On Fatal Crash Involvements: An Update of NHTSA Analyses, which estimates minimum drinking age laws have been responsible for a 12% reduction in fatal crash involvements of drivers affected by such laws; and (3) NHTSA's 1994 estimates that minimum drinking age laws have reduced traffic fatalities involving eighteen to twenty year olds by 13% and saved an estimated 14,816 lives nationwide since 1975. Ms. Theis, relying on the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission 1993 Traffic Records Data Report and the NHTSA FARS 1994 Data Summary Report, states that Louisiana data for 1993 shows alcohol involved fatalities of young drivers increases significantly at age seventeen, peaks at age twenty, and begins to decline between ages twenty two and twenty four. Ms. Theis further states that though eighteen to twenty year old drivers represented 5% of the licensed drivers in Louisiana in 1993, they were involved in 10% of the alcohol and fatal injury accidents. Capt. Jones, Commander of Troop A of the Louisiana State Police, testified that based on his personal experience, the challenged statutes could be the most critical and fundamental improvement in traffic safety when it comes to alcohol in this state. He further testified that in his opinion, access to and use of alcohol by eighteen to twenty year olds had a detrimental effect on highway safety because that age group is not only inexperienced at driving but is also inexperienced at drinking. Finally, Dr. Scribner, qualified by the State as an expert in public health, testified that in his opinion, alcohol is the leading cause of death among eighteen to twenty year olds. He testified that by this he meant that although the three leading causes of death among eighteen to twenty year olds are accidents, homicide, and suicide, alcohol plays a part in a significant number of deaths attributed to these causes. On the basis of a 1987 GAO Report, see supra at 10, Dr. Scribner further testified that raising the drinking age decreases alcohol related fatal and injury accidents, and that the younger the driver, the greater the over-representation in alcohol involved auto accidents. On the basis of the GAO Report, he estimated that enforcement of the challenged Act would result in a 5%-28% decrease in alcohol involved fatal injury crashes in Louisiana. The trial court found, as a matter of fact, that the state's interest in highway safety is not substantially furthered by the challenged classification because, at least in Louisiana, eighteen to twenty year olds are neither arrested in greater numbers than other age groups for driving while intoxicated nor, according to the State's own data compilations, [4] involved in or responsible for a greater number of alcohol related injury and fatality producing accidents. After thoroughly reviewing all of the record evidence, we find the trial court's conclusion was not clearly wrong or manifestly erroneous. Instead, our review of the evidence reveals the State's own statistics clearly show that, in Louisiana, persons between the ages of twenty-one and twenty-three are involved in significantly higher numbers of alcohol related injury and fatality accidents than eighteen to twenty year olds. Indeed, certain statistical evidence showed eighteen to twenty year olds are not even the group second most responsible for alcohol related accidents. Nor are eighteen to twenty year olds the group with the highest incidence of DWI arrests or convictions. As such, prohibiting the purchase by or sale to eighteen to twenty year olds of alcoholic beverages does not prohibit the age group most responsible for alcohol related accidents on the State's highways from the purchase or public possession of alcoholic beverages. The Louisiana Traffic Data Report for 1986 shows the eighteen to twenty year old age group had a total of 854 accidents involving alcohol, injury and/or death in 1986. By comparison, the report shows that the twenty-one to twenty-three year old age group had a total of 924 such accidents, the twenty-two to twenty-four year old age group had 916 such accidents, the twenty-three to twenty-five year old age group had 877 such accidents, and the twenty-four to twenty-six year old age group had 837 such accidents. In sum, the report shows that in Louisiana in 1986, every three year age group, up to and including the twenty-three to twenty-five year old group, was involved in more alcohol related accidents than the eighteen to twenty year old age group. The Louisiana Traffic Data Report for 1992 shows there were 337 alcohol related fatal and injury accidents in 1992 involving persons fifteen to twenty years old. By comparison, the report shows that there were 402 such accidents involving persons twenty-one to twenty-four years old, and 479 such accidents involving persons twenty-five to twenty-nine years old. Consistent with the 1986 report, the 1992 report shows that in Louisiana, persons twenty-one to twenty-four years old were responsible for more alcohol related injury and fatality accidents than persons eighteen to twenty years old. [5] An affidavit by Mary Jane Marcantel, a paralegal employed by plaintiffs to perform statistical research, states that she personally searched the records of the Clerk of Court's Office for the Parish of Evangeline in Ville Platte, Louisiana, and the booking records of the Sheriff's Office for Evangeline Parish, for the calendar year 1986 and the period of January 1, 1994 through July 28, 1995, to ascertain the number of persons charged with DWI during the time periods listed and the age of those persons at the time of their arrests. Ms. Marcantel's affidavit states her research showed of the 92 DWI arrests in Evangeline Parish in 1986, nine were of persons eighteen to twenty years old. By comparison, her research showed there were thirteen persons twenty-one to twenty-three years old and twelve persons twenty-four to twenty-six years old arrested for DWI in Evangeline Parish during the same time period. Ms. Marcantel's affidavit further states that of the 179 DWI arrests in Evangeline Parish during the January 1, 1994 to July 28, 1995, time frame, ten were of persons eighteen to twenty years old. By comparison, her affidavit states her research showed there were sixteen persons twenty-one to twenty-three years old and twenty-five persons twenty-four to twenty-six years old arrested for DWI in Evangeline Parish during the same time period. In sum, Ms. Marcantel's research shows that fewer eighteen to twenty year olds were arrested for DWI in Evangeline Parish in either time period examined than either twenty-one to twenty-three or twenty-four to twenty-six year olds. [6] The affidavit of Joseph W. Demourelle, Chief of Detectives of the Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office, was also introduced by plaintiffs. Detective Demourelle states he researched and reviewed the criminal arrest and probation records of Evangeline Parish for the period of January 1, 1995 to July 31, 1995, to ascertain the number of DWI convictions in Evangeline Parish during that time period and the age of the persons convicted. Detective Demourelle states that his research shows that of the 79 DWI convictions in Evangeline Parish during that time period, only one was of a person under twenty-one years old. The affidavit of Dr. Robert Gramling, a Professor of Sociology at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, was also introduced by plaintiffs. Dr. Gramling's affidavit states that his research, consisting of studies done in 1986 and 1992 comparing drinking habits of young adults in Louisiana and North Carolina, reveals there is a lack of empirical evidence to support the assumption that raising the drinking age to twenty-one years old will result in less alcohol consumption by eighteen to twenty year olds. Dr. Gramling's affidavit further states his research strongly suggests that greater quantities of alcohol may be consumed by eighteen to twenty year olds where the drinking age is raised to twenty-one. Finally, Dr. Gramling concludes raising the legal drinking age in 1986 did not significantly change the alcohol consumption of eighteen to twenty year olds in Louisiana. Furthermore, on cross-examination by plaintiffs, Dr. Scribner admitted his research has also shown that peak alcohol consumption among young people occurs in their twenties, and not in their late teens. Dr. Scribner testified that peak alcohol consumption occurs at ages twenty to twenty-four, and that drivers through age thirty are over-represented in alcohol related injury and fatality accidents. Dr. Scribner also agreed that the risk to others on the highways, i.e., the public at large as opposed to alcohol impaired drivers, of alcohol related accidents is greater with drivers in the twenty-one to twenty four year old age group, because not only are they over-represented in alcohol related accidents, there are numerically more licensed drivers in that age group. Finally, Dr. Scribner agreed on cross-examination that the rate of alcohol related deaths, regardless of the attributed cause of death, i.e., accidents, homicide, suicide, was consistent among all age groups up to and including persons fifty-four years old, in that alcohol related violent deaths consistently accounted for 47-48% of all violent deaths among every age group up to fifty-four years old. On the other hand, the statistical evidence presented by the State, as reviewed earlier, primarily consists of national statistical data on alcohol related fatal and injury accidents. This data, sufficient to provide Congress with justification for enacting the National Minimum Drinking Age Act under its Commerce Clause powers, see South Dakota v. Dole, 483 U.S. 203, 107 S.Ct. 2793, 97 L.Ed.2d 171 (1987), is not sufficient to carry the State's burden in the instant case in light of the Louisiana statistical evidence introduced by plaintiffs showing that eighteen to twenty year olds are not the group responsible for the greatest number of alcohol related accidents in Louisiana. The relevant inquiry in this case is whether eighteen to twenty year olds are the age group responsible for the greatest number of alcohol related accidents in Louisiana. The statistical evidence presented by plaintiffs, primarily consisting of the State's own data compilations, clearly shows that twenty-one to twenty-four year olds are responsible for far more alcohol related accidents in Louisiana than eighteen to twenty year olds. Furthermore, the national data introduced by the State merely shows that eighteen to twenty year olds are over-represented to a greater degree than other age groups in alcohol related accidents, [7] not that eighteen to twenty year olds are the group involved in the highest number of alcohol related accidents. Such a showing is not relevant in the instant case, however, as prohibiting an age group because they are over-represented in alcohol related accidents to a greater degree than other age groups will not decrease the number of actual traffic accidents and concomitantly increase highway safety nearly as much as would prohibiting the age group responsible for the greater number of accidents from purchasing or publicly consuming alcohol. While the State also introduced evidence to show that, given the relative number of licensed drivers in each age group, eighteen to twenty year olds are over-represented to a greater degree than twenty-one to twenty-four year olds in such accidents in Louisiana as well, this, as Dr. Scribner admitted and as we have previously explained, is not the proper measure of whether the Act substantially furthers the State's objective of increased highway safety. In sum, the record evidence in the instant case shows that in Louisiana, eighteen to twenty year olds are not the group responsible for the greatest number of alcohol related accidents. The evidence as to this factor therefore points toward the unconstitutional nature of the challenged age discrimination, as the State's objective of increased highway safety is neither directly implicated nor substantially furthered by the discriminatory classification of eighteen to twenty year olds contained in the challenged statutes. [8] The trial court also found that there are several non-discriminatory alternatives available to address the state's highway safety concerns. Our review of the record evidence reveals no error in the trial court's finding. In this regard, though Capt. Jones, a state witness, testified he believed a minimum drinking age law set at twenty-one years of age could be the most critical and fundamental improvement in traffic safety when it comes to alcohol in this state, he later acknowledged on cross-examination by plaintiffs that a law prohibiting persons twenty-one to twenty-three years old would also save lives, and that the twenty-one to twenty-three year old age group also has a very high rate of alcohol related accidents. Capt. Jones further admitted activities such as school educational programs, public advertising, education and training of retailers of alcohol, improved highway designs, and tougher DWI laws are all important and effective methods of combatting drinking and driving and improving highway safety. Of course, absolute prohibition of all alcohol sales in the State of Louisiana would also achieve the State's objective of increased highway safety without discriminating against persons eighteen to twenty years old. The record evidence in this case as to this factor therefore also points toward the unconstitutional nature of the challenged age discrimination, as reasonable non-discriminatory alternatives to the classifications contained in the challenged statutes by which the State could achieve its objective of increased highway safety exist. Finally, we agree with the trial court's finding that the classification contained in the challenged statutes undercuts countervailing interests of the State. Our Civil Code accords majority status to persons upon reaching the age of eighteen. La.C.C. art. 29. Consistent with that Article, our constitution, in Art. I, Sec. 10, accords that most fundamental of rights in a democratic society, the right to vote, to citizens upon their reaching the same age, eighteen. [9] Upon attaining the age of eighteen, persons are treated as adults under the law, and are accordingly assigned the responsibilities and obligations of an adult under the law. [10] The challenged statutes, however, in derogation of the general principle contained in La.C.C. art. 29, create a situation where eighteen to twenty year olds are accorded the responsibilities and obligations of an adult under the law, but are treated as though they are still children when it comes to the purchase and public consumption of alcoholic beverages. [11] Such discrimination against these otherwise similarly situated adults clearly undercuts the State's consistently expressed countervailing interest in according eighteen to twenty year olds adult or major status. Furthermore, the State's proclamation that eighteen to twenty year olds need special regulation of their alcohol consumption, despite the factual evidence to the contrary showing that eighteen to twenty year olds are involved in less alcohol related accidents than certain other age groups, undercuts the State's countervailing interest in addressing the broader problem of alcohol impaired driving on the highways of Louisiana. By targeting only eighteen to twenty year olds, the State is failing to address this problem. Therefore, once again, the record evidence in this case points toward the unconstitutional nature of the challenged age discrimination, as the classification contained in the challenged statutes undercuts countervailing state interests. Our review of the record in this case shows the factual findings of the trial court in this case are well supported by record evidence and are not clearly wrong or manifestly erroneous. The trial court's declaration of unconstitutionality of the challenged statutes on the basis of those factual findings is also correct. When properly evaluated in light of the unique protection against age discrimination afforded persons under Article I, Sec. 3, of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974, the State has clearly failed in the instant case to carry its burden of proving this presumptively unconstitutional classification on the basis of age substantially furthers the important governmental objective of improving highway safety. [12] The evidence before us fails to show that eighteen to twenty year olds are the group most responsible for alcohol related accidents in Louisiana. As such, the State's objective of improved highway safety is not directly implicated by the discriminatory classification contained in the challenged statutes. [13] Furthermore, the evidence shows there are reasonable, non-discriminatory alternatives available to the State which would substantially further the governmental objective of increased highway safety, and there are significant, countervailing State interests which are undercut by this discriminatory classification. As the United States Supreme Court stated when presented with a somewhat similar case involving a law requiring gender discrimination in the purchase of alcoholic beverages, [i]n sum, the principles embodied in the Equal Protection Clause are not to be rendered inapplicable by statistically measured but loose-fitting generalities concerning the drinking tendencies of aggregate groups. Craig v. Boren, 429 U.S. 190, 208-09, 97 S.Ct. 451, 463, 50 L.Ed.2d 397 (1976).