Intoxicated drivers are one of the leading causes of car accidents. People who have too much to drink and get behind the wheel are responsible for thousands of injuries and deaths each year.
However, you will notice we said “drink too much.” It is possible to drink in moderation. Each evening, there are plenty of people who have a single glass of wine with dinner, for example, and then drive home without causing any problems whatsoever.
What brings this contrast between “drinking” and “drinking too much” to mind is the National Transportation Safety Board’s recent recommendation that all states, including Tennessee, lower the legal blood-alcohol content limit from 0.08 to 0.05. The NTSB has said this would bring the U.S. into alignment with most other developed countries and would reduce highway deaths that result from car accidents.
The NTSB does not have legal authority to order states to adopt the 0.05 BAC limit, but its recommendation carries a great deal of weight. Tennessee Rep. Jeremy Faison, whose sister was killed by a drunk driver when she was 16, has said he personally supports lowering the limit.
The move to a lower BAC level is opposed by restaurant and alcohol-industry groups, however, as well as some average citizens, who worry it will cut into their ability to relax and socialize with friends.
This is one of those issues on which reasonable people can have different opinions. Do you have any thoughts you would like to share?
Source: The Knoxville News, “Rep. Faison says he’ll push for lowering DUI level to 0.05,” Tom Humphrey, May 15, 2013
