Bill would make drinking by passengers in car illegal

Right now passengers can crack a beer while riding in a car in Tennessee. A new bill would make that illegal, moving Tennessee in line with the majority of other states in the country.

"Right now we're encouraging people to party in the car," said Rep. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, who filed the legislation Thursday.

"If people are drinking in the car, except in rare instances, the driver is often participating in that."

Passing the law is going to save lives and bring more money to Tennessee, he said. Tennessee, along with every state but Mississippi, already outlaws any drinking by the driver of a car. But it's one of seven states — including Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Missouri, Rhode Island and Virginia — that doesn't specifically outlaw alcohol for passengers, according to a 2013 analysis by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

By not having this law — Lundberg said it's known as the "pass the bottle bill" — Tennessee loses out on anywhere from $6 million to $12 million a year in federal transportation funding, Lundberg said. They also can't choose how they spend the money the state does receive from this particular federal pool: It can only go toward drunkend driving prevention events or something similar.

Passing the law would mean the state could use the money for road projects, Lundberg said.

"Especially when people are talking about a gas tax, it seems to make sense that we would like to use that money to build roads, fix bridges, things of that nature," Lundberg said.

Earlier this year, the Tennessee Highway Patrol announced recent crackdowns on DUIs, and enforcing seat belt laws had helped prevent traffic-related deaths. Troopers stopped 2,000 more people suspected of driving under the influence in 2014 compared to the year before. Traffic deaths tied to alcohol dropped by 18.6 percent during the same time frame, according to a news release.

The bill offers several caveats: passengers in taxis, limos or other commercial transportation would be exempt, as would passengers drinking in the "living quarters" of a mobile home, camper or similar vehicle.

The violation would be a misdemeanor if the new bill becomes law.

The bill would also tweak state law to clarify drinking at bowling alleys is legal. Lundberg said it's in reference to a "quirky" dispute in East Tennessee.

The General Assembly can start addressing most bills once it reconvenes in regular session, slated for Feb. 9.

Reach Dave Boucher at 615-259-8892 and on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.