NTSB Recommends Lowering Legal Limit
By: Scott Perry
It is widely known that drinking and driving do not mix. Not only 
is it illegal, but it is dangerous too as your ability to react, make decisions, and control you and your vehicle get altered and make you more likely to crash.
In the state of Florida the legal “limit” is .08 for one’s blood-alcohol level (BAL). Each person reacts differently to alcohol and typically one can calculate his or her BAL based on the number of drinks he and she have had in one hour (12 ounce beer, 4 ounce glass of wine, 1.5 ounce shot of liquor). Generally, it is accepted that the less someone weighs, the less he or she can drink before they reach the legal limit – regardless of how you may feel or think you feel.
The following link shows a chart which breaks down BAL based upon weight and sex — http://www.csub.edu/counselingcenter/mentalhealth/bloodalcohol.shtml. For example, if a 120 lb female has two drinks in an hour her BAL is .08 — the legal limit.
Recently, the National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that the legal limit be dropped from .08 to .05 in the hopes of reducing DUI related deaths.
Support for this initiative can be found in results from Europe where countries dropped the legal limit and saw immediate reductions in the number of alcohol related car crashes.
No matter what the legal limit is, do NOT drink and drive – it’s not worth it. Always plan ahead and if you cannot, just call a taxi. If you or a love one have been hurt as a result of a drunk driver call an attorney to find out about your rights.
