Clinton Seeks Strict Drunk Driving Laws : Public safety: He urges states to get tough with teen-agers who hit the road under the influence. His crusade is latest in political contest on family values.

Beginning a new crusade against teen-age drinking and driving, President Clinton on Saturday called on Congress and the states to adopt strict laws that would allow prosecution of young adults caught behind the wheel after consuming a single beer or wine cooler.

“After all, if it’s illegal for people under 21 to drink at all, it should certainly be illegal for them to drink and drive,” Clinton said in his weekly radio address. “That’s a no-brainer.”

The President’s campaign for “zero tolerance” laws marks the latest round in the ongoing political contest between Democrats and Republicans to demonstrate which party is toughest on family values issues.

“There’s something wrong in America when hundreds and hundreds of our young people are dying because hundreds and hundreds of our young people are drinking and driving,” Clinton said.

Clinton called on Congress to pass legislation that would pressure states to punish drivers younger than 21 who are caught driving with a blood-alcohol level of .02 or more. On average, a .02 level would occur after drinking a single beer, wine cooler or shot of alcohol.

Although states set their own drinking and driving laws, the federal government can have substantial influence on them.

In urging that drunk driving laws be made tougher, Clinton cited the 1984 law that required states to raise the legal drinking age to 21 or lose their federal highway funds. All states and the District of Columbia complied. The number of people under 21 killed because of drunk driving has dropped 50% since then, Clinton said.

Two years ago, the National Transportation Safety Board urged states to propose laws that would set zero-tolerance policies for blood-alcohol content in drivers under 21. Currently, 24 states, including California, and the District of Columbia have adopted such standards.

“It’s time to have zero tolerance for underage drunk driving all across America, not just in some states,” Clinton said. “Congress should make zero tolerance the law of the land.”

Under most state laws, adult drivers are considered legally drunk if their blood-alcohol level exceeds .08 or .10. Some states have lower legal levels for teen-agers. Under zero-tolerance guidelines, drivers are considered legally drunk when their blood-alcohol level is .02 or more.

This is not the President’s first campaign against drunk drivers. The anti-crime legislation he signed last year established strict new penalties for anyone who drives drunk with children in the car. The measure also made it easier for states to prosecute people driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Clinton acknowledged that his call for a nationwide crusade against underage drinking and driving might seem contrary to the popular trend to send more authority back to the states, but he said some issues are so important that they require national attention.

“I don’t think that there’s any question that the fight against teen-age drunk driving demands national action,” Clinton said.