In a recent study conducted by the University of California San Diego, researchers found that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption for those getting behind the wheel. In fact, researchers in the study found that even drivers with blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.01% were 46 percent more likely to be involved in a motor vehicle accident than a sober driver.
The current BAC of 0.08% is used nationally to define a drunk driver. UCSD sociologist David Phillips led the team of researchers for the study and concluded that the legal BAC used to define a drunk driver in our country should be reduced from the current level of 0.08% to at least a 0.05%level, or lower.
Phillips and his team of researchers analyzed data from almost 600,000 fatal automobile accidents in the United State during the 17 year period from 1994 to 2011. The team focused their study on what they termed as, “buzzed” drivers, or those drivers involved in an accident with a blood alcohol level between 0.01% and 0.07%. Analyzing information from a federal database, the team found that automobile accidents increased steadily with each .01% increment of blood alcohol content of the driver responsible for the accident.
The lowering of the legal BAC level is not a novel idea. After much research, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently recommended that the legal BAC limit be reduced to 0.05%. Phillips suggests that the legal BAC be reduced even lower than the 0.05% level, citing evidence that even a “buzzed” driver with a BAC of 0.01% is a serious threat for a drunk driving accident.
The Philadelphia personal injury lawyers of Galfand Berger, LLP have been helping victims of serious injuries and accidents for over 65 years. We represent individuals injured in all types of automobile accidents, including drunk driving crashes. If you or someone you love has been injured by a drunk driver, call our law offices at 1-800-222-USWA or submit an online inquiry form.
Galfand Berger, LLP has offices in Philadelphia, Reading, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and serves clients throughout Pennsylvania, including the Harrisburg and Allentown regions, and Southern New Jersey.