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 Elmhurst, Glen Ellyn and Wheaton sites and asked them: should the DUI limit be lowered to 0.05 percent? Here’s some of the responses we got: 

Linda McFarland: “Yes!” – Elmhurst Patch Facebook 

Mark Adams: “Yes, because people always give themselves a breathalyzer before they drive...” – Elmhurst Patch Facebook

Kevin Klepper: “I see it just as a revenue ploy rather than safety.” – Glen Ellyn Patch Facebook

Joyce Kuba Price: “Is that a glass of wine at a restaurant?” – Elmhurst Patch Facebook 

Enid Baxter: “Absolutely it should be lowered!” – Elmhurst Patch Facebook

Melissa Gustafson: “I think it's fine where it is.” – Wheaton Patch Facebook

Megan Rafferty-Flatter: “Why not just make it illegal to drink and drive period? Reducing from .08 to .05 seems ridiculous when .08 equates to 1 drink/hour. “ – Glen Ellyn Patch Facebook

Ryan Covington: “Making driving altogether illegal would eradicate all driving related deaths. Sometimes pointing out the absurd illustrates the fallacy in a proposal.” – Glen Ellyn Patch Facebook

Keith Whistler: “Only if bars and restaurants are required to have a breathalyzer on hand...but I would like to see some statistics such as how many people present a danger with a .05 BAC, and how many people they just pull over for a regular traffic stop and they breathlyze because they have had a few drinks.” – Elmhurst Patch Facebook

Raj Kamruddin: “I'm interested in seeing stats which show why a 0.05 is such a danger. How many accidents occur due to someone with 0.05 BAC? Usually you hear of someone over 0.08. 5 hours ago via mobile · Like · 1 Justin Hunt I'd like to know if they want people to follow their rules or if they are more interested in busting people who break them.” – Elmhurst Patch Facebook

Justin Hunt: “I'd like to know if they want people to follow their rules or if they are more interested in busting people who break them.” – Elmhurst Patch Facebook

Patty Berger Wagner: “I'd need to see how many alcohol related accidents/incidents occur with people who are between .05 and .08. If it’s a lot then it would be reasonable, but my guess is that it isn't that many.” – Glen Ellyn Patch Facebook

Marilyn Gose: “Would bartenders have to stop serving customers who are driving before they reach 0.05? Is that easy to determine?” – Elmhurst Patch Facebook

Michael Hassan: “No. This is nanny-state over-reach. Law abiding citizens will not even have one drink for fear of going over the limit. It will decimate the restaurant industry.” – Elmhurst Patch Facebook

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