The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation reported that 41 percent of traffic fatalities in a recent year were alcohol-related. Here is a list of the 10 states with the highest percentages of such traffic fatalities during the previous year:

1. North Dakota: 53.4%
2. Texas: 53.2%
3. Louisiana: 51.4%
4. Alaska: 51.1%
5. Nevada: 50.1%
6. New Mexico: 50.1%
7. Washington: 50.0%
8. Missouri: 49.4%
9. Connecticut: 49.2%
10. Rhode Island: 48.4%

1. Using the Department of Transportation's Web site, obtain the latest figures for the states and compare the top 10 states with the above list, which you can presume was last year's listing.
2. Make a study of your state's rankings for recent years and find the reasons for the changes over the years by interviewing police and court authorities.