American Beverage Institute » Bad Stats http://abionline.org/blog Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:43:09 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Fact Check: New Mexico Stats http://abionline.org/blog/2010/02/05/fact-check-new-mexico-stats/ http://abionline.org/blog/2010/02/05/fact-check-new-mexico-stats/#comments Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:27:11 +0000 ABI http://abionline.org/blog/?p=193 ABI took MADD to task over its use of interlock stats from New Mexico in today’s Albuquerque Journal. We argue that interlocks are not the primary cause of New Mexico’s decline in drunk driving fatalities and that most stats coming out of the state about interlocks are inflated.

Give the piece a read here.

]]> http://abionline.org/blog/2010/02/05/fact-check-new-mexico-stats/feed/ 0 Check out ABI in the Chicago Tribune http://abionline.org/blog/2010/01/13/check-out-abi-in-the-chicago-tribune/ http://abionline.org/blog/2010/01/13/check-out-abi-in-the-chicago-tribune/#comments Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:54:48 +0000 ABI http://abionline.org/blog/?p=156

Today, the Chicago Tribune published ABI’s letter to the editor debunking one of MADD’s worst stats:

This is in response to “Women gain on men in drunken driving arrests” (News, Jan. 1). One of Mothers Against Drunk Driving‘s favorite talking points was quoted: “A first-time drunken driving offender on average has driven drunk 87 times before being arrested.” This goes so far as to accuse Americans of criminal acts with no proof to back up the claim.

Before advocating for new laws, we need an accurate, up-to-date measure of drunk driving behavior. It’s reckless to act based on one thing, when the reality is another.

– Sarah Longwell, managing director, American Beverage Institute, Washington

Learn the truth about other bad stats here.

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