One Drink DUI? Feds want to lower threshold for drunk driving

The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended, among other restrictions, that the states lower the blood-alcohol level at which a motorist can be charged with drunk driving from .08 to .05. The Board’s goal is to lower the amount of alcohol-related deaths in the United States, which has stayed at a consistent level for a number of years.

The Board believes this regulation will decrease the number of deaths because of the successful decrease of deaths seen in Europe after the imposition of the .05 blood-alcohol limit for motorists. Europe experienced a decrease of over half the number of alcohol-related vehicle accidents after the regulation was imposed.

While the Board is suggesting the lowered blood-alcohol level, whether the initiative comes to pass will be determined by the states. While it is a matter of state law, the federal government has the means to ensure that the limit is lowered if it wishes. When the federal government wanted a uniform drinking age of 21 years, it withheld highway funding to any state that would not increase the legal drinking age to 21. As a result, all states now have a legal drinking age of 21. The federal government, if it wishes, could impose similar restrictions on funding if it wishes to create a uniform allowable blood-alcohol level.

Lowering the blood-alcohol level at which a motorist can be charged with drunk driving might decrease the number of alcohol-related deaths in the United States. On the other hand, the lowered limit will not deter those drivers whose blood-alcohol level is much higher than the current limit.

It will be interesting to see whether the federal government takes any steps to compel states to pass this law. Besides possible backlash from constituents, state lawmakers will face pressure from the alcohol industry not to lower the allowable limit, and are unlikely to pass such a regulation without being compelled by the federal government.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/14/feds-recommend-lower-drunken-driving-threshold/

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Indiana Law Enforcement Agencies Welcome March with Statewide Crackdown

Officers work overtime to deter impaired, dangerous driving during the busy season

In an effort to reduce the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities on Indiana roadways this March, Ryan Klitzsch, Traffic Safety division director of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) today announced that state and local law enforcement agencies will on Friday begin the Operation Pull Over Blitz.

This high-visibility crackdown on impaired and dangerous driving known as “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” will take place from March 2-18 covering the Big Ten Basketball Tournaments, the St. Patrick’s Day holiday, and other sporting events during the month of March.

“As with any sporting event, fans gather and may have a few drinks while cheering for their favorite team. Our advice is simple, if you plan on consuming alcohol, designate a sober driver before tipoff,” says Klitzsch.
Over the next 17 days, more than 250 state and local law enforcement agencies will deploy sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols, and other enforcement tactics that are designed to detect and remove impaired drivers from the roads. Officers will also be on the lookout for aggressive drivers – that is, those who speed, run red lights, tailgate and commit other traffic violations.

Last year’s two-week blitz period resulted in a total of 633 DUI arrests. Yet according to ICJI, eight fatalities occurred in March 2011 due to an impaired driver and/or motorcyclist with a BAC of 0.08 or higher.

“While last year’s arrest numbers are encouraging, there were still eight fatalities, which more than likely could have been prevented,” Klitzsch added.

“We want Hoosiers to enjoy this highly spirited time of year. What is most important however is that all drivers exercise good judgment before they get behind the wheel of a vehicle. The inevitable consequences of being arrested, losing your license, facing jail time or even worse – killing yourself or someone else are simply not worth the risk.”

Operation Pull Over is a federally funded enforcement initiative administered by the Traffic Safety division of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI). To increase public awareness of the effort, ICJI’s Traffic Safety division today launched a statewide advertising campaign that will continue through March 11. The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign consists of radio and television advertising.