The Vermont Grocer's Association, the Vermont Expos, and three state agencies are teaming up to promote awareness of Vermont's open container law. No one may have an open container of alcohol anywhere in the passenger compartment of any vehicle. In the past, only the driver was prohibited.

Since driving under the influence is a leading cause of crashes here in Vermont, the goal is to cut down on the chances that someone is driving while impaired. While the law sets the limit at .08 blood alcohol content for DUI, the reality is that judgment is impaired at .02. This means that just one beer, one shot, one wine cooler can affect your ability to make decisions. When you are behind the wheel, driving a ton of metal, judgment is crucial.

So Vermont's new law says that no open containers of alcoholic beverages of any sort are permitted. The passenger or driver may be issued a ticket, fined, and points assessed for drivers. The VGA, the Expos, Governor's Highway Safety Program, and the Departments of Motor Vehicles and Liquor Control are working together to ensure all Vermonters know about the new law. A poster was created, and will be distributed to members of the VGA to be placed on cooler doors of its members. To learn more, visit the DMV's web site. To order more posters, free of charge, contact the VGA or Governor's Highway Safety Program.

See a copy of Vermont's new open container law in it's entirety.