Your Take: Should DUI Alcohol Limit Be Lowered To 0.05 Percent?

One drink could be the standard for drunken drivingat least for some people if the National Transporation Safety Board has its way. 

On Tuesday, the NTSB recommended states lower the blood-alcohol threshold for driving under the influence from 0.08 percent to 0.05 percent.

About 10,000 deaths a year are related to drunken driving. The NTSB says the lower limit would save 500 to 800 lives a year.

Officials at the American Beverage Institute called the proposal "ludicrous." It said the average woman could reach the 0.05 percent limit by having one drink.

We reached out to readers of our Downers Grove, Darien, Lemont and Woodridge sites and asked them: should the DUI limit be lowered to 0.05 percent? Here’s some of the responses we got: 

Lori Galandak-Anthony: “Alcohol should be banned period… Just kidding however, if you drink and drive...you should not drive period.” – Lemont Patch Facebook

Laurie Czepiel-Berg: “To be honest, judges and lawyers get or let drunk drivers off the hook. Therefore, I don't know what difference it would make. I personally know of someone who has had 4 DUIs in Illinois and one in Texas. Did not lose his license for any period of time, and served no jail time. If they don't enforce the current BAC laws, what would be the point of lowering it?” – Lemont Patch Facebook

Cathy Fischer: “The drunks will still drink and drive and kill. They do it when it's .08; they'll still do it when it's .05.” – Woodridge Patch Facebook 

Rebekah Martin: “Every week, a list of DUI's is published by The Patch. Lower the BAC and your list will just get longer.” – Woodridge Patch Facebook

Eric Rudolph: “Hell no, it should be raised if anything.” – Woodridge Patch Facebook

Keith Gothard: “There should be zero tolerance for any drinking driver... If you don’t agree with me you can feel free to ask my friends who have been killed by drunk drivers… Oh wait, you can’t because they are dead.” – Lemont Patch Facebook

Michael Easley: “Maybe they should just ban bars; really like they set you up to fail... just saying how many people you know only have one drink... just a thought.” – Lemont Patch Facebook

Reveneal O'Brien: “There should be zero, however this will not reduce deaths caused by drunk drivers. Not allowing drivers who have been arrested, convicted and still insist on driving will. There should never be anyone with more than one drunk driving arrest…” – Lemont Patch Facebook

Amy Novak Dutton: “Doesn't matter. People who drive drunk will still do so no matter what the limit is.” – Lemont Patch Facebook

Bruce Kipley: “How about addressing distracted drivers, texting, reading messages, anything but watching the road. Had three instances coming home from Rockford.” – Lemont Patch Facebook

Bethany Stephens Stachura: “Drink too much? .05 means one drink an hour for females. We may as well go to zero tolerance. I was not aware we were doing away with social drinking.” – Downers Grove Patch Facebook

Gregory Girote: “Oh yes.” – Darien Patch Facebook

Chris Long: “I think that it's obvious that lowering the limit will save lives. True, there are people who will drink and drive regardless of what the legal limit is. I don't think this is aimed at them though. I think lowering the legal limit will reduce accidents and fatalities caused by people who have had some drinks but are still under .08. Many people do respect the legal limit, and this will help to keep them safe and off the road.” – Lemont Patch Facebook

Marnie Clifford: “Just another way the state can make money and control us a little more…” – Woodridge Patch Facebook

Kivaka Pavin: “Nope leave it alone. I don't drink; I had my grandmother hit by a drunk driver in the middle of the afternoon while my mom and her three sisters watched. Why not raise the taxes on beers and wine? No reason a beer should cost so cheap.” – Lemont Patch Facebook

Greg Flood: “I don't think anyone at .08 is a threat on the road. Its the people who are hammered causing the harm.” – Lemont Patch Facebook 

Danny Gray: “If Downers Grove would allow overnight public parking in its lots and garages, people could take the trains to the city, party with their friends, and use public transportation back.” – Downers Grove Patch Facebook

Russ Foster: “It seems like an arbitrary number either way. Why 0.05%? Why not 0.12?% Or 0.047432%? Can some explain what this means in practical terms?” – Downers Grove Patch Facebook 

Carrie Bryant Swenson: “I think that if people are stupid enough to drive drunk then .08… .05… doesn't really make a difference. I would be interested to know the stats in lives saved when it went from .10 to .08? I personally think it’s just a means to make more money through court fees, fines, drug and alcohol classes. They can ensnare more drivers with the lower number. People are gonna do it and. guess what some of them don't have licenses from previous DUIs. Not really thinking the .05 is really going to stop those people that do it anyway.” – Downers Grove Patch Facebook

Amy Curran Wright: “It will not stop those that drink too much and drive. Sounds like a money-maker to me.” – Downers Grove Patch Facebook

Angela Norwood: “No, it shouldn't be reduced! The only reason why they want to reduce it is to arrest more people for fine.” – Darien Patch Facebook

Shawn Radkiewicz: ”Next thing you know, you won't be able to by a 32-oz soft drink anymore…” – Downers Grove Patch Facebook

Scott Pratl: “The stats for alcoholic-related accidents that they are using to push this through are not the correct stats that should be used. There using any alcohol related accidents, a beer truck gets in a fender bender that counts and so on and so on…” – Downers Grove Patch Facebook

So what’s your take? Tell us in the comments.