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Should Legal Blood Alcohol Limit Be Lowered?

Flickr/Shanana Rain Golden-Bear http://www.flickr.com/photos/52283904@N04/7630626680/

The National Transportation Safety Board is calling on states to toughen drunk driving laws, but Mothers Against Drunk Driving says there are better ways to fight drinking and driving.

The NTSB recommends lowering the legal blood alcohol limit to 0.05 percent from the current 0.08 percent.

The NTSB points out that in other countries where there are similar laws, there has been a reduction in traffic deaths related to alcohol.

The Texas chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving supports the lower blood alcohol idea, but MADD’s Angela Tidwell says the organization believes other measures would be more effective.

“High visibility law enforcement, state ignition interlock laws for all offenders and research toward the development of technology to prevent a drunk driver from operating a vehicle,” Tidwell said.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving also emphasizes that whatever the legal limit, the safest driver is one who has consumed no alcohol.

Trey Shaar is an All Things Considered producer, reporter and host. Got a tip? Email him at tshaar@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @treyshaar.
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