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Good Question: Why Do Midwesterners Drive Drunk?

(WCCO) When the federal government reported that nearly 1 in 4 Minnesotans admit driving under the influence of alcohol, a researcher at the University of Minnesota said she was not surprised.

"We certainly have issues with alcohol consumption in the Midwest," said Dr. Traci Toomey, director of the Alcohol Epidemiology Program at the University of Minnesota.

"We mix this driving culture and a drinking culture, and that's a formula for high rates of drinking and driving," she said.

In states like Minnesota and Wisconsin, Toomey said there is evidence of higher rates of alcohol consumption. And the working theory is that there's a cultural acceptance of alcohol in those states.

For example, Minnesota was the last state in the country to lower the blood alcohol limit for driving to .08.

"That's an important question as to whether we're taking drinking and driving seriously," she said.

However, the issue of why Midwesterners drink more than other regions of the country is "complex" according to Toomey. She said while many admit that drinking and driving is bad, they don't admit personal responsibility.

"It's not completely sunk in," she noted.

Toomey believes the culture of driving is another factor. The Midwest is not densely populated, and it lacks public transit and availability to taxi cabs, so that tends to send people to their cars.

She believes that policy changes are the best way to achieve changes in the culture.

"We certainly have to have people believe that they're going to get caught if they get behind the wheel after drinking too much alcohol. Other states have sobriety checks," she said. "You could have the most severe penalties in place, but if someone doesn't think they're likely to get caught, they don't believe they're going to face these penalties."

Another area Toomey would consider changing is the excise tax on alcohol. Minnesota hasn't raised that tax in two decades.

According to the Federation of Tax Administrators, the U.S average excise tax on a can of beer is 2.6 cents. Minnesota's is 1.5 cents and Wisconsin's is 0.6 cents.

"We've made significant progress, but we have a long way to go," said Toomey.

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