Crime & Safety
Should DUI Alcohol Limit Be Lowered To 0.05 Percent?
The National Transportation Safety Board recommends reducing the limit. Some say it would save lives. Others say it's unreasonable.
One drink could be the standard for drunken driving – at least for some people if the National Transportation 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.
What do you think? Is this a reasonable proposal?
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According to a 2011 Mothers Against Drunk Driving report, the latest available data shows New Jersey ranked 31st out of 51 states (including the District of Columbia) in drunken driving injuries and deaths. That year, there were 193 DUI fatalities, MADD said.
About 10,000 deaths nationwide a year are related to drunken driving. The NTSB says the lower limit would save 500 to 800 lives a year.
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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.
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