The current limit for driving while intoxicated is a blood alcohol content (BAC) level of .08 in all states nationwide. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently recommended lowering the limit for driving under the influence (DUI) to .05. According to a recent statement by Deborah Hersman, NTSB chairman, more than 440,000 people have died in the past 30 years due to alcohol-impaired driving incidents. The Board recommended the drop in the legal BAC limit in an attempt to lower the number of drunk-driving-related fatalities, saving what it estimates would be between 500 and 800 lives each year.
The number of drinks it takes to reach a BAC of .08 varies from person to person and is dependent upon your body weight, how much food you have had to eat, how much time has passed and how frequently you drink. In Texas, the legal limit is .08 for all adult drivers, although commercial drivers have a limit of .04, and those under the legal drinking age of 21 have a limit of .02.
Some other guidelines endorsed by the NTSB include putting ignition lock devices on the vehicles owned by first-time offenders, increasing the number of sobriety checkpoints and highly visible enforcement, as well as immediate revocation of a driver’s license for anyone over the legal limit during a DUI arrest.
If you have been given a ticket for certain drug- and alcohol-related offenses in Texas, you may be eligible to take a six-hour online Drug and Alcohol Driving Awareness Program (DADAP). This course focuses on Texas laws and the effects of drugs and alcohol on your body, reflexes and decision-making processes. If you are simply looking for ways to reduce your insurance premiums, the DADAP or another defensive driving course in Texas may be an option as well. In either case, it is important to check with the court or your insurance agency before enrolling to ensure that the course will help you to fulfill your goals.
