Drunk driving is often referred to as driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving under the influence (DUI). Drunk driving refers to driving with a blood alcohol level over the state's permissible blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level — usually 0.10%. As of October 2000, 19 states (including the District of Columbia) use 0.08% to define drunken or impaired driving. More states probably will adopt the 0.08% level; Congress recently passed legislation requiring states to adopt the 0.08% standard if they wished to avoid losing critical highway funds.
There has been a growing debate about where the cutoff for legally defined intoxication should be. How quickly one reaches a 0.08% or 0.10% BAC varies by gender and weight, although the average man reaches the limit after three or four drinks consumed in an hour. Below a BAC level of 0.10%, a driver can experience problems with vision and depth perception, and coordination and judgment are affected. But it is those with a BAC over 0.10% who cause most of the accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the average level of intoxication in fatal alcohol-related accidents is 0.17. Fatally injured drivers with BAC levels over 0.10% were six times more likely to have a prior conviction for DWI than fatally injured sober drivers.
Martin Morse Webster cites research by University of New Mexico sociologist Lawrence Ross that the 0.08 level will result in a 60% increase in DWI arrests but no significant decrease in fatalities. Webster's article repeats an intriguing question Mr. Ross poses in his book, Confronting Drunk Driving: "Should we put out a net so wide and so tightly woven as to sweep up huge numbers of people, or should we concentrate on those most likely to create carnage on the streets?"
The percentage of crashes involving a BAC of 0.10 or higher has been on the decline —46.3% of all crashes in 1982, 31% in 2000. Optimism comes just when news reports are filled with reports of increased binge drinking on college campuses. In a 2000 Gallup Poll, 42% of those 18 to 29 reported drinking more than they should, while 29% of those 30 to 49 did. From 1999 to 2000, there was a slight increase in those with a BAC between 0.01 and 0.09%.
The number of traffic fatalities hit its peak in 1988 (47,087 deaths). The lowest number of deaths (39,250) occurred in 1992. Alcohol is playing a decreasing role in these deaths. Why are there fewer deaths, even as the number of licensed drivers increases? In part, things are better because there are fewer young drivers out there. The population of those in their twenties has fallen, although they are more likely to drink and drive as shown in this table.
Respondents Who Reported Driving Under the Influence in 1998
| Age Group | Percent |
| 16-17 | 8.9 |
| 18-20 | 21.1 |
| 21-25 | 22.1 |
| 26-34 | 14.3 |
| 35 and older | 8.0 |
Additional reasons include improvements in vehicle design and the inclusion of safety features such as airbags. Seat belt use is up, from 62% in May 1998 to 71% in September 2000 (Department of Transportation). Alcohol education programs of the 1980s and 1990s worked. The slogan "Buckle Up — It's the Law" appears to be saving lives.
The next battle will be over cellular phones. As of April 2001, 10 local communities have banned phone use while driving. Forty more states are considering similar restrictions. What about chatting on a cell-phone with a BAC level of 0.10?
Sources: Bureau of Justice Statistics. Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics, 2000, p. 75; "Seat Belt Use Reaches All-Time High." Online. Available: http://www.nsc.org/news/n090700.htm; "What is drunk driving?" available from http://www.drunkdrivingoffenses.com; National Highway Administration, Traffic Safety Facts, 1999; Scherer, Ron. "A Revolt Against Driving." Christian Science Monitor, April 18, 2001; Morse Webster, Martin. "Mothers against Drunk Driving: Has its Vision Become Blurred?" available from http://www.capitalresearch.org; online data retrieved November 20, 2002.
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