NTSB Proposes Lower BAC Legal Limit

The National Transportation Safety Board wants to make changes to DUI laws in the country. The first change may be decreasing the legal driving limit to just a single drink. That would lower the legal limit to 0.05 percent — or even lower. It also wants to outlaw cellphone use while driving, period.

The agency released a statement that said, in part, “When it comes to alcohol use, we know that impairment begins before a person’s BAC reaches 0.08 percent, the current legal limit in the United States. In fact, by the time it reaches that level, the risk of a fatal crash has more than doubled. That is why states should lower BAC levels to 0.05 or even lower.”

With a lower limit, the amount of drinks that the average-sized man could consume is two. For an average pound woman, a single drink would do it. Whether or not the suggestions will be heeded remains to be seen. What we do know is that if the limits are lowered, DUI attorneys may have their plates full rather quickly.

While on the surface the proposition makes sense, it is unfair to assume that each person metabolizes alcohol in the same way or that everyone is too impaired to drive after just a single drink.

If you have been arrested and charged with DUI in Atlanta or the surrounding area, an attorney at Hawkins Spizman Fortas wants to help you today. Call our office for a free case evaluation and let us fight for you in a court of law. Call today for more information.