One-out-of-two (50%) American adults agree that drunk driving laws in the United States are not tough enough, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey. Only eight percent (8%) say the laws are too tough, and 36% believe that they’re about right.

Fifty-eight percent (58%) of women believe the laws are not tough enough, compared to 42% of men. Adults without children (54%) tend to believe the laws should be stricter than those with children at home (45%).

Thirty-seven percent (37%) of all adults say those convicted of drunk driving for the first time should be given mandatory jail time, but 46% disagree.

Forty-one percent (41%) think there should be unalterable mandatory sentences for drunk driving offenses, but 49% say judges should have latitude in sentencing.

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Overall, 51% agree the legal drinking age should remain at 21. Thirty percent (30%) think drinking should be legal at 18, while five percent (5%) say it should be set at 16. Nine percent (9%) say the drinking age should be raised to 25. Five percent (5%) say drinking should be outlawed altogether.

These figures are similar to a poll conducted in August of last year.

Adults 18 to 39 are closely divided over whether the drinking age should be 18 or 21. A majority in all older age groups prefer to keep it where it now is at 21.

Thirty-five percent (35%) say they know someone who has been injured or killed in a drunk driving accident. Most (59%) have not.

Those ages 18 to 49 are more likely to know someone hurt or killed in a drunk driving crash than those who are older.

According to the Mothers Against Drunk Driving website, someone is killed by a drunk driver on average every 40 minutes. They estimate that three of every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related traffic accident at some point in their lives.

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