Feds/NTSB (Might) Lower BAC Limit from .08% to .05% when Driving

[welcometothetonezone]

Just thought I'd share this article. Be safe out there.

TLDR;
- BAC Limit might be lowered from .08% to .05%
- Says it will save more lives, opposition says it only hurts responsible people
- USA, Canada, and Iraq only major countries with BAC tolerance at .08% while most of the world is .05%
- Took 21 years for all States to lower .1% to .08% for their laws

By Tom Costello, Correspondent, NBC News
Tue May 14, 2013 11:06 AM EDT

NBCNews.com

WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board voted to recommend to states that they lower the blood-alcohol content that constitutes drunken driving.

Currently, all 50 states have set a BAC level of .08, reflecting the percentage of alcohol, by volume, in the blood. If a driver is found to have a BAC level of .08 or above, he or she is subject to arrest and prosecution.

The NTSB recommends dropping that to a BAC level of .05.

Each year, nearly 10,000 people die in alcohol-related traffic accidents and 170,000 are injured, according to the NTSB. While that’s a big improvement from the 20,000 who died in alcohol-related accidents 30 years ago, it remains a consistent threat to public safety.

Studies show that each year, roughly 4 million people admit to driving while under the influence of alcohol.

The recommendation prompted immediate criticism from restaurant trade groups.

"This recommendation is ludicrous," said Sarah Longwell, managing director of American Beverage Institute. "Moving from 0.08 to 0.05 would criminalize perfectly responsible behavior.

"Further restricting the moderate consumption of alcohol by responsible adults prior to driving does nothing to stop hardcore drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel."

The United States, Canada and Iraq are among a small handful of countries that have set the BAC level at .08. Most countries in Europe, including Russia, most of South America and Australia, have set BAC levels at .05 to constitute drunken driving.

When Australia dropped its BAC level from .08 to .05, provinces reported a 5-18 percent drop in traffic fatalities.

The NTSB reports that at .05 BAC, some drivers begin having difficulties with depth perception and other visual functions. At .07, cognitive abilities become impaired.

At .05 BAC, the risk of having an accident increases by 39 percent. At .08 BAC, the risk of having an accident increases by more than 100 percent.

The NTSB believes that if all 50 states changed their standard to .05, nearly 1,000 lives could be saved each year. It is also considering other steps to help bring down the death rates on America’s roads.

The NTSB is an investigative agency that advocates on behalf of safety issues. It has no legal authority to order any change to state or federal law. It would be up to individual states whether to accept the NTSB’s recommendation, and up to the Department of Transportation whether to endorse the recommendations.

The last move from .10 to .08 BAC levels took 21 years for each state to implement.

 

[rex ryan]

They should increase it slightly if anything. .08 isn't even that much. That's barely like 2 beers.

 

[swendro]

They should increase it slightly if anything. .08 isn't even that much. That's barely like 2 beers.

No.

 

[do work son]

Agree with the part that said it's going to criminalize responsible behavior. The problem is people having too much pride to admit they've drank too much and are no longer able to operate a vehicle, or just too stupid to acknowledge it.

 

[david bowman]

How about forcing alcohol suppliers to chip in for "drunk busses" in rural america? at least in the city you can take the subway.

At this point if you have Some mouthwash and drove you are getting arrested.

 

[ice city fc]

**** this. Hope this doesn't get implemented.

 

[6 Rings G.O.A.T.]

The Feds are going to do whatever they want to do..

 

[boris]

They might as well make it zero tolerance.

 

[gp9rm7221]

Anyone saying this is a bad idea is a fool and probably one to partake in driving while intoxicated.

Raise it? Really. You're a winner.

 

[ohmygosher]

This won't keep people from drinking and driving. Just more money in fines.

 

[rex ryan]

Anyone saying this is a bad idea is a fool and probably one to partake in driving while intoxicated.

Raise it? Really. You're a winner.

You do know .08 is barely 2 drinks and isn't no big deal but the system wants money which is why they exploit this. People who legitimately are drunk should be prosecuted but most of the time they reach and destroy someone's life over pettiness.

And regarding the winner part, I probably have a better career and education then you do mr. High horse snob so ill leave it at that.

 

[dt24]

Reserving judgement until someone can provide statistics on how many more deaths are caused between a B.A.C of 0.5 and 0.8. Sounds like a sly way to raise revenues to lower the deficit to me. If people honestly think that this is being done to enhance public safety they are plain naive. If fines were tiered to make a BAC of between 0.5 and 0.8 a minor moving violation this thing would never see the light of day.

 

[swendro]

Anyone saying this is a bad idea is a fool and probably one to partake in driving while intoxicated.

Raise it? Really. You're a winner.

You do know .08 is barely 2 drinks and isn't no big deal but the system wants money which is why they exploit this. People who legitimately are drunk should be prosecuted but most of the time they reach and destroy someone's life over pettiness.

That is a terrible reason to raise the limit.

 

[Betonblck]

0.05 is one mixed drink right?

 

[rex ryan]

How is it terrible. Anyone with common sense knows that .08 isn't even slightly buzzed. The court system on this is a business. Raise it to .11 or so and it would be better for everyone

 

[rex ryan]

0.05 is one mixed drink right?

About so, give or take depending on how strong the drink was made.

 

[swendro]

How is it terrible. Anyone with common sense knows that .08 isn't even slightly buzzed. The court system on this is a business. Raise it to .11 or so and it would be better for everyone

So where does one more drink get you? Slightly buzzed? You shouldn't be driving buzzed at all.The point of a legal limit isn't to allow slighlty buzzed people behind the wheel. It's meant to discourage slightly buzzed people from driving.

And 2 drinks doesn't affect everyone the same way.

 

[sundoobie]

Why stop with .05? If the Feds are serious about stopping drinking and driving... go with 0.00 and set a standard.

If you drink alcohol, you don't drive... PERIOD!


Plus these days.. more people are driving under the influence of prescription drugs and other substances anyhow so what are they doing to combat that?

 

[sin city]

Love how everyone missed reading the part where it said traffic fatalities dropped by 5-18% in Australia after implementing this. That 5-18% might be the difference between you or your close one dying.

If you knew you could increase the chance of your family member living by 10% would you do it? This isn't only to make more fed money, this is to protect us from idiots behind the wheel.

 

[RyGuy45]

I'm for zero drinking and driving now but .05 as a national law is a joke especially when unlike Europe and other countries we do not have the transportation means in a lot of this country. It's called being realistic even though yes I would be all for 0.0 because I don't do it.

The fine money coming in though would be welcomed by everyone I'm sure.

 

[gp9rm7221]

Education and common sense are two different things. Education doesn't make a man but good try trying to be the Alpha.

I am living my dream. If you take a gander at my profile pic you'll see what I do. Without those the economy shuts down. They also pay me a heck of a lot for only being a high school grad so congratulations on your amazing career that makes me less of a man.

Back to the topic at hand. There is a time and a place for alcohol. Different people react and handle it differently and we all know that. If .08 is barely two drinks then I guess you had better start only having one if you're driving. I think a .00 blood level is where it should be at.

I could have lost my job thanks to a guy I worked with showing up drunk. I do believe you can get away with having a .04 at work but if you screw up - you're fired. I have 0 respect for anyone who gets behind the wheel of a car in a position where they are not alert - be it high, drunk, buzzed or even extreme exhaustion.

 

[Ox.]

 

[rell826]

Good. Shouldn't be drinking and driving to begin with. All it takes is one drink to make a difference. Everyone's body doesn't handle liquor the way you would. That two drinks everyone is in defense of can knock someone else off of their feet. I saw that more than enough in college from the biggest dude to the tiniest sorority girl.

Want to drink and be behind the wheel? Call a cab or get a designated driver.

 

[currensy]

How about forcing alcohol suppliers to chip in for "drunk busses" in rural america? at least in the city you can take the subway.

At this point if you have Some mouthwash and drove you are getting arrested.

I support this idea.

 

[Betonblck]

How about forcing alcohol suppliers to chip in for "drunk busses" in rural america? at least in the city you can take the subway.


At this point if you have Some mouthwash and drove you are getting arrested.

I support this idea.

Or just make the public transportation systems better. If you live outside a major city, you basically have to hope that you don't get pulled over cause it would be an automatic DUI.

They talk about all these traffic accidents because of DUI but how many times are there accidents where people aren't impaired and just do something stupid. People get killed everyday in car accidents and they are not all drunk drivers.

I'm not saying that driving impaired is not a problem, just that people put out these stats as if drunk drivers are the only ones killing people on the road.

You have old 90 year old people on the road that can't tell the brake from the gas pedal but that's ok, lock up that guy that had one beer.