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August 2, 2005
Last state to act: DWI now at 0.08
The article was about Minnesota being the last state to lower the level of alcohol in your system from 0.10 to 0.08 percent to be considered driving while intoxicated. Although the law was in effect since May 2004, Minnesota was the last state to enact it.
The article continues with a questions and answers section, most of which is very education. For example, by changing the legal blood-alchohol limit to 0.08 the state will now receive nearly $20 million for building and improving state and local roads. Apparently this federal money was being held until the now. With the state needing all the money it can get, if you believe everything you read, this was incentive enough.
However, the article discussed the number of alcohol-related crashes that were reduced in states using the 0.08 level, discussed how you impaired at each percentage interval , and there were over 34,000 drunk driving arrests in Minnesota last year alone. The article contains good practical information, as well, if you drink alchohol and want to make sure you are legal to drive and/or the consequences of driving while intoxicated.
The statistic that really jumped out at me was the average blood-alcohol percentage found in drivers that were pulled over in Minnesota -- the "average" was high at 0.16!
What do my classmates think about the lowering of the percentage? And how will you change, if anything, what or how you are socializing?
Comments
I think that it is a good idea to lower it, but I feel that many people will not pay attention to it and not change their drinking style. People are going to think that nothing can happen to them, therefore, ignoring this issue.
Posted by: Dianna at August 4, 2005 9:15 AM