| |
Blood alcohol limit now .08 nationwide
By Jill Dunn
Delaware became the last state in the nation to change the legal limit for a driver’s blood alcohol content to .08 percent.
That bill will become law once signed by Gov. Ruth Ann Minner, who released a statement describing lowering the threshold from .10 to .08 percent as “a major legislative victory.” She has backed the measure since 2001.
The District of Columbia and Puerto Rico also have adopted .08.
In 1998, when Congress approved the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, it provided $500 million in incentives to states adopting .08 BAC laws.
On June 25, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced incentive grants totaling $47.8 million to 47 states that had the .08 limit.
These fiscal year 2004 incentive grant recipients excluded Colorado, Delaware and Minnesota. These three states had 2 percent of their federal highway construction funds withheld as of Oct. 1, 2003. The three passed the .08 limit this year, but missed the FY 04 deadline.
However, once a state’s law becomes effective, all withheld funds will be restored to the state.
Colorado and Minnesota adopted the .08 limit in May, which becomes effective July 1, 2004, and Aug. 1, 2005, respectively.
New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia are receiving these incentive grants for the first time. The grant funds may be used for highway safety or highway infrastructure projects.
According to preliminary estimates, 40 percent -- 17,401 of 43,220 -- of highway deaths in 2003 were alcohol-related. A man who weighs 170 pounds and consumes four drinks on an empty stomach would reach a blood alcohol concentration of .08 percent, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
|
|
