Speak Out: Should Drunk Driving Threshold Be Lowered?

The National Transportation Safety Board says that many people are killed each year by drivers who are not drunk under legal standards, but have impaired vision, reaction times and decision-making skills due to alcohol.

The NTSB is recommending that states adopt a tougher standard in defining when a person is drunk and should not be behind the wheel, according to the New York Times.

It's recommending that states change their laws and reduce allowable blood-alcohol concentration by more than a third from .008 percent to 0.05 percent.

More than 100 countries have adopted the 0.05 percent blood-alcohol concentration standard, WSPA reports.

Such changes, NTSB officials believe, would reduce drinking and driving by reducing the number of drinks a person could consume.

The NTSB's recommendation isn't receiving a warm welcome from some groups, including trade groups.

“Moving from 0.08 to 0.05 would criminalize perfectly responsible behavior,” American Beverage Institute Managing Director Sarah Longwell told the Times.

She also said the tighter restrictions would punish moderate drinkers while doing nothing to stop hardcore drinkers from driving.

Speak Out: What do you think about the NTSB's recommendation? Should state adopt this tougher standard? What other measures can be taken to reduce or eliminate drunk driving?

Tell us in the comments!