Politics & Government

Point-Oh-Five Could Be the New DUI

One government agency is calling for stricter limits on people who choose to consume alcohol before getting behind the wheel.

One drink could be the standard for drunken driving – at least for some people if the National Transportation 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.

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.

People killed or injured by drunken drivers in select San Mateo County in 2010  (with ranking based on incidents per 1,000 population and the lower the ranking, the worse the problem):
Millbrae, 8 (Ranked 40th out of 108 in its population group)
Burlingame, 6 (Ranked 65th out of 103 in its population group)
South San Francisco, 38 (Ranked 16th out of 103 in its population group)
San Bruno, 10 (Ranked 61st out of 103 in its population group)
San Mateo County, 387 (Ranked 52nd of 58 counties by average population)

What do you think? Is the proposal reasonable? Tell us in the comment section below.

— Patch Field Editor David Mills and Jennifer Squires contributed reporting.


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