Photo Courtesy of DOT
Legislators and advocates rallied on Tuesday in Albany to call for New York State to lower the legal Blood Alcohol Limit from .08 to .05 percent.
By Forum Staff
Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, NY State Senator John C. Liu and Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon will join New York State legislators, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the National Transportation Safety Council, and transportation advocates from around the nation to call for New York State to lower the legal Blood Alcohol Limit (BAC) from .08 to .05 percent. The legislation, S776 (Liu)/A1627 (Simon), would allow New York State to join countries around the world who have lowered the BAC. From Australia and Argentina to Ireland, countries have lowered their BAC limits – and have seen traffic fatalities immediately decline by more than 10 percent.
Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia/U.S. Air Force
Countries that have lowered their BAC limits have seen traffic fatalities immediately decline by more than 10 percent.
“Since the pandemic, we have seen an alarming increase in high-speed car wrecks, especially on highways, very often fueled by the deadly combination of drinking and driving,” Rodriguez said. “DOT is working around the clock to reduce fatalities on our roads, and we know there is a simple policy solution to curb this reckless behavior: lowering the BAC threshold for Driving While Intoxicated in New York State from .08 percent to .05 percent. This change will both align us better with countries around the world and save lives. I want to thank Mayor Adams, State Senator John C. Liu, Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, and the brave advocates – many of whom have lived the tragic consequences of drunk driving — for taking on this important fight.”
Both the State Senate and Assembly versions of the bill are being reviewed in the legislative bodies’ respective Transportation committees.
