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 Transporation 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.

About 10,000 deaths 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.

According to CyberDriveIllinois.com's 2013 DUI Fact Book, there were 2,593 DUI arrests in Lake County in 2011; 3,071 DUI arrests in 2010; and 3,029 DUI arrests in 2009.

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DUI facts from CyberDriveIllinois.com:

  • 323 people were killed in alcohol-related crashed in Illinois in 2011—35 percent of total crash fatalities.
  • 60 percent of DUI offenders are under age 35.
  • Most DUI arrests are made between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. on a weekend.
  • The average DUI offender is caught with a BAC of .16—twice the current legal limit.
  • 85 percent of all drivers arrested for DUI are first time offenders.

Tell us what you think: Is the proposal to lower the blood-alcohol limit reasonable?


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