The .05 Saves Lives Coalition is a diverse, independent group of non-affiliated organizations supporting a .05% BAC (blood alcohol concentration) per se law to prevent deaths and injuries caused by drinking and driving. While we may differ on other issues, we all agree that there is strong scientific evidence to support the lifesaving effects of a .05% BAC Law. We agree:
1. A .05% BAC Law is an effective solution to reduce drunk driving crashes because it deters people at all BAC levels from driving, including those at high BAC levels (National Transportation Safety Board, National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine), but even at .05% BAC, drivers have difficulty steering, reduced coordination, and declines in vision (CDC, NHTSA/USDOT).
2. Dozens of countries around the world have a .05% BAC Law or lower and, although other countries consume the same amount of alcohol (or more) per person than the U.S., they suffer many fewer alcohol-related crashes and deaths each year because people in places with a .05 BAC Law are less likely to drive after they have been drinking (World Health Organization).
3. If every U.S. State had a .05% BAC Law, we would save the lives of 1,500 people every year (National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine). We stand behind these facts and we stand with jurisdictions introducing a lifesaving .05% BAC law.
We know most Americans support a .05% BAC (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports 63%; Texas Medical Center Health Policy Institute reports 55%). This law does not necessarily increase arrests because it deters impaired drivers before they get behind the wheel, but we also understand that a .05% BAC Law is most effective when implemented with high visibility enforcement. Further, greater emphasis should be placed on educating the public and in schools regarding the consequences of drinking and driving, even at low BAC limits. A .05% BAC Law prevents crashes by reducing risky driving, not by reducing alcohol consumption.
Join us. We can make our roads safer for everyone by separating drinking and driving with a .05% BAC Law. .05 Saves Lives.