Highway safety : effectiveness of state .08 blood alcohol laws
Advanced Search
Select up to three search categories and corresponding keywords using the fields to the right. Refer to the Help section for more detailed instructions.

Search our Collections & Repository

All these words:

For very narrow results

This exact word or phrase:

When looking for a specific result

Any of these words:

Best used for discovery & interchangable words

None of these words:

Recommended to be used in conjunction with other fields

Language:

Dates

Publication Date Range:

to

Document Data

Title:

Document Type:

Library

Collection:

Series:

People

Author:

Help
Clear All

Query Builder

Query box

Help
Clear All

For additional assistance using the Custom Query please check out our Help Page

i

Highway safety : effectiveness of state .08 blood alcohol laws

Filetype[PDF-247.86 KB]


  • English
    • Details You May Also Like

    Details:

    • Corporate Creators:
      United States. Government Accountability Office
    • Subject/TRT Terms:
    • Publication/ Report Number:
      GAO/RCED-99-179
    • Resource Type:
      Research Paper
    • Corporate Publisher:
      United States. General Accounting Office
    • Abstract:
      In 1997, someone in the United States died in an alcohol-related motor vehicle crash every 32 minutes. For years, the Congress and the states have grappled with and sought solutions to the problem of drunk driving. Most states have laws making it illegal for people to drive with a specified level of alcohol in their blood, usually set at .10 blood alcohol concentration (BAC) - the level at which a person's blood contains 1/10th of 1 percent alcohol. However, 16 states have more stringent laws setting the limit at .08 BAC. In 1998, the Clinton administration endorsed a bill that would have required all states to enact and enforce .08 BAC laws or face reductions in federal highway funds. The Senate approved this bill; the House took no action. The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century directed the General Accounting Office (GAO) to evaluate the effectiveness of state .08 BAC laws in reducing the number and severity of crashes involving alcohol. To accomplish this objective, GAO reviewed (1) the policies and positions of the Department of Transportation's (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on .08 BAC laws and other drunk driving countermeasures and (2) seven published studies on the effect of .08 BAC laws on the number and severity of crashes involving alcohol, including three studies released on April 18, 1999. Briefly, the results of the review suggest that overall, the evidence does not conclusively establish that .08 BAC laws, by themselves, result in reductions in the number and severity of alcohol-related crashes. There are, however, strong indications that .08 BAC laws in combination with other drunk driving laws (particularly license revocation laws), sustained public education and information efforts, and vigorous and consistent enforcement can save lives. It is difficult to accurately predict how many lives would be saved if all states enacted .08 BAC laws because whether a state sees reductions after enacting a .08 BAC law depends on a number of factors, including the degree to which the law is publicized, how well it is enforced, other drunk driving laws in effect, and public attitudes concerning alcohol.
    • Format:
      PDF
    • Collection(s):
    • Main Document Checksum:
    • Download URL:
    • File Type:

    Supporting Files

    • No Additional Files

    More +

    You May Also Like

    Checkout today's featured content at rosap.ntl.bts.gov

    Version 3.26