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Nope. I think lowering the blood alcohol level to be a great idea. I know a man who lost his mother to an inebriated driver who drove up on the sidewalk and caused her death.
Does no one who has a drink out also have a designated driver? When I lived in Europe (Germany, specifically), there was always great consideration for the amount of alcohol people consumed and designated drivers if anyone was in any way impaired by alcohol.
Failing a designated driver, a person should either wait it out until the blood alcohol is low, or else call a taxi.
While I feel terrible for this happening, do you really think his BAC was less than 0.08%?
I'm willing to bet that 99% of the time when drunks kill others while driving that their BAC are wayyyyyyyy higher than 0.08%.
If they were really serious about this, instead of lowering to 0.05%, they would INSTEAD increase the penalties for driving over the 0.08 threshold, and DRASTICALLY increase the penalties for anything over 0.15%.
Forgive me if I am wrong, but my understanding that the Federal Government does not legislate drunk driving laws or thresholds. This all came from a study in 2013 in which the NTSB encouraged all states to lower their limits from .08 to .05. I don't believe that the federal government can pass a law regarding this issue.
However, what I think they did in the past, such as drinking ages or lowering the limit from .10 to .08, they withheld transportation funding until the states complied. So, they can't pass a law, but they can make it difficult for them if they don't lower it.
Personally, I support the limit being lowered, however I think the prosecution of DUI's need to be consistent and the criminal justice system revised. I don't think that a person that goes and has a drink or two and gets pulled over for blowing a .05 should go to jail, get a record and have their lives ruined. There needs to be a graduated system, depending on if its the first, second, third offense, and what their BAC is.
In my county, it is common for someone blowing a .10 or less to get off with a small fine and not with a DUI on their record. I have known for people to have multiple offenses and get off without a record. However, go to the next county over, and if you blow a .08 you would be arrested on the spot.
If you can, you might want to check what your BAC is like that. You may be up on the limit but not feeling it due to a built up tolerance.
Ya, for the record I NEVER drive Drunk. Any More than 2, I'm not driving. Just Saying, A 6-Pack doesnt give me a buzz. But yes, I follow the law 100%.
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