Many people are abuzz wondering whether or not drunk driving standards will get tougher in their state. These concerns have been brought to the surface ever since the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) suggested that all 50 states adopt a lower BAC level of .05%. The blood alcohol content (BAC) threshold has been at .08 for over a decade and it has been the limit which determined driver intoxication. This would significantly change the standard for drunk driving and this new proposal is sure to see serious opposition from some. On top of this proposal, the NTSB would also like to see harsher and swifter action taken against DUI offenders by taking away their licenses.
All of these suggested initiatives have been brought up in hopes to lower the number of alcohol-related crashes and fatalities. The NTSB believes that drunk driving is a national epidemic which has claimed way too many lives over the years- they wish to reduce DUI related fatalities and they believe that a new .05 standard can save between 500 and 800 lives on an annual basis.
Research done by the NTSB shows that reaction times are slowed and brain
functioning is impaired even before a driver reaches .05. There are many
different factors that can influence the shifts in a person's blood
alcohol content and the NTSB wants to see the states lower the acceptable
level of inebriation.
On top of a lower DUI standard, the NTSB also suggested that all first
time DUI offenders be required to install an ignition interlock device
in their vehicle. This device keeps the driver from being able to start
the car when they have alcohol in their system. Ultimately, the states
will be the ones to determine their own BAC levels and DUI standards.
That is why the safety board hopes that the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) will offer financial incentives to help persuade
the state governments to adopt the changes.
For some, these new proposed DUI laws hit close to home and for others they may face great opposition. Currently there are 100 other countries around the world with a .05 DUI standard or lower, the safety board claims. Europe in particular has seen a 50% decrease in alcohol related deaths over the last ten years. The question remains which policy makers will adopt the new changes and whether or not they will get results.
To learn more about the new potential DUI changes, read the news article from CNN. If you have been arrested for drunk driving, contact a Lawrenceville DUI attorney from our firm. Here at the Law Office of Robert L. Booker, we offer tough defense for tough cases.