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Advocates For Highway and Auto Safety Issues Statement In Response To U.S. Senate Overwhelmingly Passing .08% Blood Alcohol Concentration Impaired Driving Legislation

5 March 1998

Advocates For Highway and Auto Safety Issues Statement In Response To U.S. Senate Overwhelmingly Passing .08% Blood Alcohol Concentration Impaired Driving Legislation

    WASHINGTON, March 4 -- Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety
issued the following statement from its president, Judith Lee Stone, in
response to today's U.S. Senate vote in support of a national .08 percent
blood alcohol concentration (BAC) law:

    "We have always said that strong leadership is needed in the fight against
drunk driving if we are to win the war.  Today, thanks to the members of the
United States Senators who voted by an overwhelming 62 to 32 margin in support
of this lifesaving amendment, the first battle for a national uniform .08 law
has been won.  We now take our fight to the halls of the House of
Representatives.
    "By passing this amendment, the members of the Senate have joined the
President and his administration, safety advocates, the law enforcement
community, medical professionals, businesses and victims in a call for tougher
action to combat impaired driving.
    "Regardless of what our opponents will say, we are not targeting social
drinkers.  The average 170 pound male would have to consume four drinks in an
hour on an empty stomach to reach .08 percent BAC.  The average 137-pound
female would need three drinks in one hour to reach that level.  This is not
social drinking and this law is not about stopping people from drinking -- it
is about stopping people from excessive drinking and driving.
    "Researchers conclude that if all states had a .08 percent BAC law, an
estimated 500 to 600 lives could be saved annually.  This is the equivalent of
preventing five major airline crashes every year.
    "Currently only 15 states have an illegal BAC level of .08 percent and
many state legislatures are considering bills this year.  For example,
Virginia has a .08 percent BAC level while Maryland does not.  It makes no
sense for an individual to be legally drunk in one state but not the other.
This bill will set a uniform impaired driving limit for all states.
    "This approach is similar to the National 21 Year Old Minimum Drinking Age
Law signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1984.  As a result of that federal
law, all states have a minimum 21 drinking age law. An estimated 16,513 lives
have been saved since 1975 as a result of these laws."

    Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety is a broad-based alliance of
consumer, safety, health and law enforcement groups and insurance
organizations working together to promote effective highway safety legislation
and policies at both the state and federal levels.  For more information on
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, please visit the World Wide Web site at
http://www.saferoads.org.

SOURCE  Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety