Reports that say Rhode Island has one of the worst DWI death rates in the U.S. cite fatalities as a percentage of total vehicle deaths, but the ACLU says that data is misleading. The group said that a better measure would calculate fatalities per total vehicle miles driven; under this calculation, Rhode Island would have a below-average rate of alcohol fatalities for all but one year from 1982 to 2002.

"There is one thing that's clear about Rhode Island's drunk driving 'problem:' it has, however unintentionally, been greatly exaggerated," according to the ACLU. The group's Rhode Island director, Steven Brown, said the point was not to minimize the threat of drunk driving but to ensure that new laws are truly needed. ACLU and the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Association of Rhode Island also have called for more treatment for drunk drivers and better enforcement of existing laws.

The Coalition to End Needless Death On Our Roadways, a national group that ranked Rhode Island atop its "Fatal Fifteen" list, criticized the ACLU for criticizing its report. "You can debate the numbers all day long, but frankly, we're disappointed that the ACLU is choosing to play politics with the lives of Rhode Island's families," said John Pastuovic, the group's executive director. Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which used the same data to conclude that Rhode Island deserved an "F" grade for its drunk-driving efforts, also defended its methods.

"Nobody's concerned about the people that are no longer with us," said MADD Rhode Island director Gabrielle Abbate. "Who protected their civil liberties?"

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