Government Agency Recommends Lowering Legal Blood-Alcohol Limit for Motorists

May 29, 2013

In an effort to reduce the number of Drunk Driving Accident Injuries and fatalities, the National Transportation Safety Board is recommending all states lower the legal blood-alcohol limit for motorists from .08 to .05. The announcement has been met with strong opinions on both sides of the controversy.

According to the New York Daily News, the recommendation is being made as a way to reduce the roughly 10,000 drunken driving fatalities that occurred last year. Proponents of the law say lowering the legal blood-alcohol limit will deter motorists from getting behind the wheel after having too much to drink. Others feel the law will do little, if anything, to keep drunk drivers off the road.

Statistics from the non-profit organization, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, shows that as many as 30 percent of motorists who are convicted on a drunk driving charge have a prior offense on their record. Of those individuals, roughly one-third will continue to drive after their license has been revoked.

So, what is an effective means of keeping drunk drivers from behind the wheel? Studies have shown that states requiring drunken driving offenders to have an ignition interlock device installed on their vehicle have seen some success with the program.

The Buffalo Personal Injury Lawyers with William Mattar Law Offices are hopeful a solution to the problem of drunk driving will be found sooner than later.