Dear Editor:
In October 2000, the United States Congress made .08 the maximum blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) level for impaired drinking and driving. Effective October 1, 2003, New Jersey began to lose 2 percent of its national highway funding per year until it adopts the .08 BAC standards for drunk driving. New Jersey is one of only five states nationwide that has not adopted tougher federal DUI standard.
An average person who has between three and four drinks on an empty stomach will reach .08 BAC within one hour. At that point, all drivers, even those who are experienced drinkers, show impairment in driving ability. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, most driving related skills, including braking, steering and lane changing, become significantly impaired by the time alcohol concentration levels reach .08. Additionally, over 20 percent of alcohol-related traffic deaths involve BAC levels that are below .10. The current .10 BAC standard is simply not low enough to get the real problem drivers off the road.
On behalf of the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse and the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey, I urge the Legislature to support S-492 which will bring New Jersey in line with the federal mandate. Passing S-492 will let us keep our much needed funding in the future and will return funds that have already been withheld. But more importantly, let us give law enforcement officials the tools they need to make our roads safe from alcohol-impaired drivers.
Joseph P. Miele, Chairman
Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey