Crime & Safety
Should DUI Alcohol Limit Be Lowered to 0.05 Percent?
The National Transportation Safety Board recommends reducing the limit. Some say that it would save lives. Others say that it's unreasonable.
One drink could be the standard for drunken driving—at least for some people—if the National Transporation Safety Board (NTSB) has its way.
On Tuesday, the NTSB recommended that states lower the blood-alcohol threshold for driving under the influence from 0.08 percent to 0.05 percent.
About 10,000 deaths per year are related to drunken driving. The lower limit would save 500 to 800 lives per year, according to the NTSB.
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We asked Baldwin-Whitehall folks on Facebook what they thought of the recommendation, and five people supported it. No opposition was voiced.
However, officials at the American Beverage Institute called the proposal "ludicrous." They said that the average woman could reach the 0.05-percent limit by having one drink.
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According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, a blood-alcohol level of 0.05 would be attained by a 180-pound male who consumes three drinks within one hour. A 130-pound woman would reach the 0.05 threshold with two drinks consumed within one hour.
Tell us what you think in the comments below: Is the proposal to lower the blood-alcohol limit reasonable?
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