Legal Limit

I think it’s safe to say that drinking is a pretty popular pastime for a lot of people.  Heck, back in the day (and of the legal drinking age) I had my fair share of hanging out with friends at local bars.  However, we made sure to have a sober ride to and from the bars.  Unfortunately not everyone does the same and we are all aware of the dangers involved with drinking and driving.  According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) almost 10,000 people die in alcohol related traffic accidents each year and over 170,000 are injured.  In order to reduce the fatality rate the NTSB has proposed to lower the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) level from 0.08 to 0.05.  Alcohol obviously affects everyone differently, but it is suggested that an average 30 year old male weighing 180 pounds would have to drink four beers in an hour and an average 30 year female weighing 130 pounds would have to drink two glasses of wine in an hour to have a BAC level of 0.05.  

Lowering the BAC level does seem like it would hold people back from having that glass of wine with dinner, but maybe instead people can decide to cook at home.  If they go that route they can have as many glasses as they like!  And, before people get too upset about this proposal, keep in mind that it took 21 years for all states to implement the last decrease in BAC level when it went from 0.10 to 0.08.  Also, the NTSB doesn't have the authority to make this change.  Each state would have to accept this recommendation and make the change on their own.