Senator William H. Nickerson (R-Greenwich) announced that yesterday evening the Connecticut State Senate passed his bill prohibiting a driver from possessing an open alcohol container in a vehicle.  The vote was 36 to 0.

Nickerson, who was the bill’s chief sponsor, said, “I am delighted that the Senate unanimously passed this common sense bill.  I introduced it in each of the last three legislative sessions and am pleased that it received such a strong vote.”

The bill now moves to the House where over 66 Representatives have signed as co-sponsors.

“Most of my constituents are shocked to learn that it is legal in Connecticut for a driver to hold an open container of alcohol in his hands while driving.  It is illegal to ‘consume’ alcohol while driving, but arrests are very rare because that would require a police officer to observe the driver actually swallowing the alcohol.  Under the new bill Connecticut will join the other 40 states which have a similar open container prohibition.”

In addition, Connecticut is out of compliance with federal law which provides that unless a state has an “open container” law 3% of its federal highway aid will be diverted away from highway construction to non-construction uses.  Over the last 6 years Connecticut has lost $27 million in federal highway construction funding which was diverted.

The measure received strong support from numerous organizations who testified at a hearing on the bill held by the Transportation Committee, including:

• Chief States Attorney’s Office
• Connecticut Police Chiefs Association
• Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
• Office of Victims Advocates
• Department of Transportation

Advocates testified that use of alcohol is the leading factor in auto fatalities in the U. S.  A study by the National Highway Transportation Safety Association showed that states without “open container” laws experienced significantly greater proportion of alcohol-involved motor vehicle crashes than states which do have such law.

The bill allows an open container to be carried in a vehicle only in the trunk, in a locked glove compartment or, in the case of a vehicle without a trunk, in the area behind the back seat.  There is no prohibition on carrying a sealed alcohol container anywhere in a vehicle.