Obama Wants To Criminalize Having as Little as One Drink and Driving

In the U.S., a blood alcohol measurement of .08 while driving is considered legally intoxicated and subject to DUI enforcement. In 2013, President Obama's National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) asked states to lower that limit to just .05.  Fortunately, the states never bought into this because that level of supposed drunkenness would make millions of Americans criminals.  This, according to the following Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) to weight chart.

Primary Source: California DMV

As shown above, any woman weighing less than 160 pounds couldn't have a single, 5 oz. glass of wine and drive legally.  And, no woman could have two glasses of wine; no matter what their weight.  Further, no man could drink more than one beer without being legally drunk. 

But, also, think of the consequences.

Anyone drinking one drink who has an accident or has been caught speeding could have their licenses taken away and/or serve time in jail; depending on the DUI laws in his or her state.  Also, being legally drunk at this low level could result in millions more personal injury lawsuits.  Bartenders in states with the Bartender's law could find themselves criminally and civilly liable for allowing anyone to have more than one drink.  No bar could remain open if they could only serve one drink to a customer.  Restaurants would probably give up their liquor licenses. This would be a job and business killer. 

Now, Barack Obama's NTSB has resurrected this apparent overreach just this month; citing that one third of all driving-related deaths were a result of drunk driving.  But, here's the thing.  California's DMV says that less than 5% of people even test at the .08 level when stopped for speeding or when involved in a traffic accident.  Lowering the level to .05, would only increase the number of violators and may not even lower the number of alcohol-related traffic deaths.  That's because the people who drink and drive while being impaired will continue to do so; no matter what the legal limit is.  Also understand, that out of the top ten causes of automobile accidents, drunk driving ranks 5th behind: (1) Speeding and reckless driving, (2) mobile phone use; (3) eating and other forms of distraction; and, (4) fatigue or falling asleep.

Some are speculating that Obama may use his powers of executive action to force this level into law by withholding federal funds for transportation projects.  This is only more wrong-headed B.S. reasoning from this President and his people.  Just like assuming that terrorism won't continue to expand if we would just close Gitmo.  Seriously, this is an attempt to create prohibition without the 21st Amendment and a two-thirds approval by the American people.

References:

2016:  Federal government wants to lower legal alcohol limit: http://fox8.com/2016/01/18/federal-government-wants-to-lower-legal-alcohol-limit/

Source of Chart: BACTrack:  http://www.bactrack.com/blogs/expert-center/35041989-limitations-of-bac-calculators-and-charts

Top 10 Causes of Car Accidents: http://www.losangelespersonalinjurylawyers.co/top-10-causes-of-car-accidents/