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The Impact of Lowering Blood Alcohol Concentration Laws on Road Safety

This case study reviews the legislative journey and outcomes of lowering the illegal Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) level to 0.08% for drivers aged 21 and over. Following a 1999 report highlighting insufficient evidence for the efficacy of such laws, the CDC and the Task Force on Community Preventive Services conducted a systematic review. The 2000 review concluded that lowering the BAC from 0.10% to 0.08% would reduce alcohol-related fatalities by 7%, saving 400-600 lives annually. The law was enacted, and by 2004, all states had adopted this regulation, leading to significant declines in drinking and driving incidents.

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The Impact of Lowering Blood Alcohol Concentration Laws on Road Safety

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  1. Case Study–Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)Background • In a 1992 report to Congress, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommended that all states lower the illegal BAC level to .08% for drivers 21 and older • In 1999, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report stated there was insufficient evidence that 0.08 BAC laws alone resulted in reductions in number or severity of alcohol-related crashes

  2. Case Study Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) • Following the 1999 GAO report, the bill failed to pass • CDC and the Task Force on Community Preventive Services began a systematic review of the effectiveness of .08% BAC laws GAO, general accounting office

  3. Case Study Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) • In 2000, the Task Force on Community Preventive Services conducted a systematic review • Determined that reducing the BAC level from 0.10% to 0.08% would result in a median 7% decline in alcohol-related automobile fatalities, saving an estimated 400-600 lives every year

  4. Case Study Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) • In 2000, the CDC Task Force communicated the findings and recommendations of its systematic review demonstrating the impact of a .08% BAC law to partners and policy makers

  5. Case Study Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) • In 2000, Congress approved, and President Clinton signed the bill requiring states to enact the 0.08% law

  6. Case Study Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) • By 2004, 4 years after enacting the Bill, all 50 states had .08% BAC laws • Between 2006 and 2010, self-reported drinking and driving episodes declined from 161 million/year to 112 million/year • In 2006, alcohol-impaired driving deaths were 13,491 and had declined to 10,839 by 2009

  7. Case Study Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) • Support and promote further reductions in alcohol-impaired crashes and injuries through alcohol ignition interlocks, alcohol checkpoints, and further reductions of BAC

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