http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/14/us/ntsb-blood-alcohol/index.html

Quote :

"Washington (CNN) -- A decade-old benchmark for determining when a driver is legally drunk -- the 0.08 blood-alcohol content rate -- should be lowered in an effort to reduce alcohol-related car crashes that claim about 10,000 lives each year, U.S. safety officials said on Tuesday. The National Transportation Safety Board recommended that all 50 states lower the threshold to 0.05. The idea is part of a safety board initiative to eliminate drunk driving, which accounts for about a third of all road deaths. "This is critical because impaired driving remains one of the biggest killers in the United States," NTSB Chairman Debbie Hersman said ahead of a vote by the panel on a staff report. Hersman said progress has been made over the years to reduce drunk driving, including government policies, tougher law enforcement and stepped up advocacy. But she said too many people are still dying on America's roads in alcohol-related crashes. Lowering the rate to 0.05 would save about 500 to 800 lives every year, the safety board said. "In the last 30 years, more than 440,000 people have perished in this country due to alcohol-impaired driving. What will be our legacy 30 years from now?" Hersman asked. "If we don't tackle alcohol-impaired driving now, when will we find the will to do so?" Under current law, a 180-pound male typically will hit the 0.08 threshold after drinking four drinks in an hour, according to an online blood alcohol calculator published by the University of Oklahoma. That same person could reach the 0.05 threshold after two to three drinks in an hour, according to the calculator. Many factors besides gender and weight influence a person's blood alcohol content level. And many states outlaw lower levels of inebriation when behind the wheel. The NTSB investigates transportation accidents and advocates on safety issues. It cannot impose its will through regulation and can only recommend changes to federal and state agencies or legislatures, including Congress. But the independent agency is influential on matters of public safety, and its decisions can spur action from like-minded legislators and transportation agencies nationwide. The board also recommended on Tuesday that states vastly expand laws allowing police to swiftly confiscate licenses from drivers who exceed the blood alcohol limits. And it is pushing for laws requiring all first-time offenders to have ignition locking devices that prevent cars from starting until breath samples are analyzed. "

They say this will help reduce the number of drunk driving incidents. But when most of the drunk driving incidents involve someone who is 0.15 or higher, how exactly is this gonna make a difference?

5/14/2013 12:53:28 PM

beat me to it by 1 minute.

Quote :

" 12:54 PM by LastInACC 12:53 PM by dyne "

5/14/2013 12:55:12 PM

Quote :

"Lowering the rate to 0.05 would save about 500 to 800 lives every year, the safety board said."

How so? I guess it's good we get all those .051-.08ers off the roads

[Edited on May 14, 2013 at 12:57 PM. Reason : So stupid]

5/14/2013 12:57:34 PM

I am fine with that

but that^ rationale is suspect at best.

[Edited on May 14, 2013 at 1:02 PM. Reason : d]

5/14/2013 1:01:33 PM

while they are at go ahead and add breathalyzers to all new cars.

5/14/2013 1:01:47 PM

cool, i'll continue to use my own personal judgement

5/14/2013 1:07:00 PM

why not lower it to 0.00 and save ALL OF THE LIVES?

5/14/2013 1:09:02 PM

insurance companies are STOKED

5/14/2013 1:11:56 PM

Why don't think make drivers license tests more difficult instead? It would be refreshing to actually require people to know how to handle a fucking vehicle.

Probably safer too.

5/14/2013 1:20:49 PM

so are lawyers and bail bondsmen

5/14/2013 1:20:51 PM

Go home Feds, you're drunk.

5/14/2013 1:21:30 PM

and cops and jails

5/14/2013 1:21:55 PM

Let the free market decide what a drunk driver is.

5/14/2013 1:24:38 PM

I think we should execute anyone who blows over 0.00

I'm Krallum and I approved this message.

5/14/2013 1:28:02 PM

^^^^AHA

5/14/2013 1:29:31 PM

Quote :

"But when most of the drunk driving incidents involve someone who is 0.15 or higher, how exactly is this gonna make a difference?"

yeah, i'd like to see some stats on the number of deaths caused by vehicular accident where the fault was with someone who had a BAC between 0.00 and 0.08.

Something tells me they literally have no idea.

5/14/2013 1:38:02 PM

just give mandatory 20-life on your first DWI

if you drive drunk, you are a worthless piece of shit anyway

5/14/2013 1:38:03 PM

Quote :

"0.02-0.03 BAC: No loss of coordination, slight euphoria and loss of shyness. Depressant effects are not apparent. Mildly relaxed and maybe a little lightheaded. 0.04-0.06 BAC: Feeling of well-being, relaxation, lower inhibitions, sensation of warmth. Euphoria. Some minor impairment of reasoning and memory, lowering of caution. Your behavior may become exaggerated and emotions intensified (Good emotions are better, bad emotions are worse) 0.07-0.09 BAC: Slight impairment of balance, speech, vision, reaction time, and hearing. Euphoria. Judgment and self-control are reduced, and caution, reason and memory are impaired, .08 is legally impaired and it is illegal to drive at this level. You will probably believe that you are functioning better than you really are. 0.10-0.125 BAC: Significant impairment of motor coordination and loss of good judgment. Speech may be slurred; balance, vision, reaction time and hearing will be impaired. Euphoria. 0.13-0.15 BAC: Gross motor impairment and lack of physical control. Blurred vision and major loss of balance. Euphoria is reduced and dysphoria (anxiety, restlessness) is beginning to appear. Judgment and perception are severely impaired. 0.16-0.19 BAC: Dysphoria predominates, nausea may appear. The drinker has the appearance of a "sloppy drunk." 0.20 BAC: Felling dazed, confused or otherwise disoriented. May need help to stand or walk. If you injure yourself you may not feel the pain. Some people experience nausea and vomiting at this level. The gag reflex is impaired and you can choke if you do vomit. Blackouts are likely at this level so you may not remember what has happened. 0.25 BAC: All mental, physical and sensory functions are severely impaired. Increased risk of asphyxiation from choking on vomit and of seriously injuring yourself by falls or other accidents. 0.30 BAC: STUPOR. You have little comprehension of where you are. You may pass out suddenly and be difficult to awaken. 0.35 BAC: Coma is possible. This is the level of surgical anesthesia. 0.40 BAC and up: Onset of coma, and possible death due to respiratory arrest."

i'm fine with .05

[Edited on May 14, 2013 at 1:39 PM. Reason : .]

5/14/2013 1:38:26 PM

Driving drunk and driving after having a couple beers in a couple hours are two different things.

5/14/2013 1:39:01 PM

Quote :

"Driving drunk and driving after having a couple beers in a couple hours are two different things."

true...your BAC can get up there pretty quickly (depending on how quickly you drink), but alcohol is metabolized at a pretty steady rate

1 drink per hour for 2 hours doesn't necessarily equate 2 drinks in 2 hours

5/14/2013 1:43:47 PM

Im currently working on legislation to allow open containers for passengers but driver must blow 0.0

5/14/2013 1:44:33 PM

It should be legal to shoot drunk drivers with my concealed carry

^that is the law currently.

I'm Krallum and I approved this message.

5/14/2013 1:44:52 PM

So does this mean if you blow a .10 or above you'd have to get the interlock on your car? I think right now the limit is .15 and above.

5/14/2013 1:46:33 PM

Quote :

"0.02-0.03 BAC: Typical minimum operating baseline. 0.04-0.06 BAC: Just had breakfast. 0.07-0.09 BAC: ready to go out. 0.10-0.125 BAC: scale of perceived female hotness involuntarily increased by one point. 0.13-0.15 BAC: starts dancing. 0.16-0.19 BAC: perceived female hotness scale involuntarily has a minimum score of 5. 0.20 BAC: vertically challenged. 0.25 BAC: probably fucked a tranny. 0.30 BAC: the club can't even handle me right now. 0.35 BAC: probably not gonna drink for another week. well, ok, another 2 days. 0.40 BAC and up: definitely fucked a tranny."

5/14/2013 1:46:46 PM

iop1

5/14/2013 1:46:59 PM

Quote :

"Im currently working on legislation to allow open containers for passengers but driver must blow 0.0"

Quote :

"that is the law currently."

i don't think that's true: http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-138.7.html

Quote :

"§ 20-138.7. Transporting an open container of alcoholic beverage. (a) Offense. – No person shall drive a motor vehicle on a highway or the right-of-way of a highway: (1) While there is an alcoholic beverage in the passenger area in other than the unopened manufacturer's original container; and (2) While the driver is consuming alcohol or while alcohol remains in the driver's body. (a1) Offense. – No person shall possess an alcoholic beverage other than in the unopened manufacturer's original container, or consume an alcoholic beverage, in the passenger area of a motor vehicle while the motor vehicle is on a highway or the right-of-way of a highway. For purposes of this subsection, only the person who possesses or consumes an alcoholic beverage in violation of this subsection shall be charged with this offense."

5/14/2013 1:50:51 PM

Quote :

"Im currently working on legislation to allow open containers for passengers"

One of the few things about Virginia that I like is that they allow this.

[Edited on May 14, 2013 at 1:52 PM. Reason : foo]

5/14/2013 1:52:10 PM

why would you ever believe anything krallum posts?

5/14/2013 1:52:20 PM

damnit krallum got another one

5/14/2013 1:53:07 PM

Quote :

"why would you ever believe anything krallum posts?"

i've heard the same thing from many different people...like, IRL

i'm not sure if it stems from a proposal to that effect or it was just made up

5/14/2013 1:53:30 PM

Quote :

"yeah, i'd like to see some stats on the number of deaths caused by vehicular accident where the fault was with someone who had a BAC between 0.00 and 0.08. Something tells me they literally have no idea."

My guess is that is how they get the 800 figure. Most deaths are caused by drivers with above .15...total deaths per year are 10,000, so to me it seems reasonable that 800 deaths could be in the .05 to .08 range.

5/14/2013 1:56:15 PM

Quote :

"0.02-0.03 BAC: Nyquil 0.04-0.06 BAC: You are PWNT, stay home, or get a DD 0.07-0.09 BAC: if driving, piece of shit 0.10-0.125 BAC: if driving, piece of shit 0.13-0.15 BAC: if driving, piece of shit 0.16-0.19 BAC: if driving, piece of shit 0.20 BAC: if driving, piece of shit 0.25 BAC: piece of shit 0.30 BAC: just fucking stupid 0.35 BAC: you are wasting everyone else's oxygen 0.40 BAC and up: kill yourself (wait you prolly already did)"

5/14/2013 1:58:20 PM

If there is a certain level of drunkeness that a driver can be and still be considered legal, then why should open containers in vehicles be illegal, even for the driver? It shouldn't matter if I am drinking a beer while I'm driving, as long as I blow under .08.

5/14/2013 1:59:34 PM

Quote :

"0.02-0.03 BAC: Nyquil 0.04-0.06 BAC: You are PWNT, stay home, or get a DD"

really? i'm pretty sure if you quickly drink a beer you can get up to .04. so if someboyd has a beer, they need to get a DD? seems pretty ridiculous. And i really don't know, but i wouldn't be surprised if a full dose of nyquil might get you to .04.

5/14/2013 2:04:46 PM

Quote :

"If there is a certain level of drunkeness that a driver can be and still be considered legal, then why should open containers in vehicles be illegal, even for the driver? It shouldn't matter if I am drinking a beer while I'm driving, as long as I blow under .08."

because you have to cater to the lowest common denominator...have you ever been around around someone who would blow around 0.15? yeah, i want that schmuck continuing to drink right next to me while i'm DRIVING

also, it goes back to how quickly you can raise your BAC...yeah, if you're having your first beer and you're just driving to a buddy's down the road, it's not going to make much difference if you drink it on the way...but if you're on your (whatever number) and were fine when you started, but decided to pound down another couple while behind the wheel, that's a bad idea

sure, it comes down to poor judgment...but since alcohol impairs your judgment, why not just play it safe?

also, i'm surprised this discussion hasn't turned to driving while stoned and how "safe" it is

5/14/2013 2:07:08 PM

Quote :

"If there is a certain level of drunkeness that a driver can be and still be considered legal, then why should open containers in vehicles be illegal, even for the driver? It shouldn't matter if I am drinking a beer while I'm driving, as long as I blow under .08."

Yeah, I never understood that either. Sometimes, we'd pregame and it would be way safer to drink beer(s) leisurely on the way to the bar opposed to chug a beer(s) right before we leave.

5/14/2013 2:07:25 PM

Um Im pretty sure I can't drive on nyquil

Im Krallum and I approved this message

5/14/2013 2:07:42 PM

non drinkers come up with these stats...

non drinkers are dangerous after just a couple drinks.



.... any drinker will always think these laws are dumb...

when dad got his dwi he was right at .08.... my dad after 55 years of drinking.... is stone sober at .08.

me, after getting my dwi and hardly ever drinking anymore.... wouldn't even consider operating a vehicle after consuming more than 1 beer every 2 hours.



[Edited on May 14, 2013 at 2:10 PM. Reason : . i'm a light weight now.]

5/14/2013 2:08:21 PM

Quote :

"My guess is that is how they get the 800 figure. Most deaths are caused by drivers with above .15...total deaths per year are 10,000, so to me it seems reasonable that 800 deaths could be in the .05 to .08 range."

This is why the proposal is bad. It's even worse than bad, it will likely cause people who blew a 0.06 to be punished to the full force of DUI laws.

If you wanted to prevent deaths, you would write laws to make it more of a sliding scale. Blow something low, slap on the wrist, blow extremely high, and get locked up a long time.

The proposal could very well increase deaths. Someone at bar thinks "going to be over the limit anyway, might as well down another beer".

5/14/2013 2:08:56 PM

Quote :

"sure, it comes down to poor judgment...but since alcohol impairs your judgment, why not just play it safe?"

In that case, why not make it illegal to drive after any amount of alcohol consumption?

5/14/2013 2:11:07 PM

Quote :

"Someone at bar thinks "going to be over the limit anyway, might as well down another beer"."

or: "going to be over the limit anyway, might as well down another beer and get a cab."

i mean, if we're going to make up scenarios

Quote :

"In that case, why not make it illegal to drive after any amount of alcohol consumption?"

or while eating a taco or fiddling with the radio or any number of things that cause us to pay less than 100% attention to the road

fwiw, i'm not claiming to be FOR this proposal, i just don't care...i doubt i've ever driven near 08, so this likely won't affect me

[Edited on May 14, 2013 at 2:15 PM. Reason : .]

5/14/2013 2:12:30 PM

I realize quagmire's BAC chart/list likely came from a reputable source, but anyone in the medical professional will tell you they've seen plenty of people with alcohol levels that should theoretically kill them, but they're awake and responsive. The problem with BAC standards is that people are not standard.

5/14/2013 2:13:05 PM

Quote :

"Im currently working on legislation to allow open containers for passengers but driver must blow 0.0"

I'm intrigued by this, mainly b/c this was legal in NC back in 2002 for less than a year. Then it was revoked or some shit. As I recall, the driver had to be 21+ and blow 0.00 but all other occupants of the vehicle could drink to their hearts' content (provided they were 21+). We did this all the time going to and from State football games that year

PaulIsDead, how is it gonna work/be successful this time around?

5/14/2013 2:13:52 PM

think the NCGOP will pass that?

5/14/2013 2:16:15 PM

It's another case of punishing the innocent...

I'll start by saying I completely deserved my dwi. But, i think the current law should be enforced like speeding violations.


.08 is the limit... but .09 no one should really wright you up for. 0.1 bend over you're going for the legal ride of your life (if you aren't an actual criminal... if you are a criminal i mean shit... it's no felony)

The problem is with DWIs they make it hard to get work for people who just made a dumb mistake. Then the same people that make it so you can't get a job bitch that you don't have one.


I find it kinda fucked up that you can be too drunk to consent to sex making your partner a "rapist" even though you made a poor choice.... You can be too drunk to sign a contract again... your poor judgement can be a legal loop hole for you later but... there is no too drunk to make the choice to drive or not.

I would like some consistency please... are you or are you not responsible for the choices you make while drunk. Seems like it should be one or the other... not case by case dependent.

[Edited on May 14, 2013 at 2:17 PM. Reason : .]

5/14/2013 2:16:28 PM

Quote :

"I realize quagmire's BAC chart/list likely came from a reputable source, but anyone in the medical professional will tell you they've seen plenty of people with alcohol levels that should theoretically kill them, but they're awake and responsive. The problem with BAC standards is that people are not standard."

oh, absolutely...folks handle their booze differently...and some folks could be stupid drunk, but are either practiced at - or actually are - appearing less drunk than they are

that scale is a rough guide, i think

5/14/2013 2:17:16 PM

5/14/2013 2:18:40 PM

yeah i've seen people LOOPY after 2 beers which would be legal in some cases and i've seen other people (who drink beer like soda) blow a .1 and be seemingly sober.

5/14/2013 2:19:01 PM

I hate the open container law too

and iop1

5/14/2013 2:20:04 PM

I don't blow anything. Bunch of fags.

5/14/2013 2:21:42 PM