Last week the National Transit Safety Board (NTSB) recommended lowering the legal limit for drunken driving from .08 to .05. According to NTSB, more than 100 other countries have reduced the limit to .05. They reported that this reduction has lowered traffic deaths attributable to drunken driving by more than half within 10 years.

For the average individual .05 would be no more than one or two drinks.

“Our goal is to get zero related deaths because each alcohol-impaired death is preventable,” stated NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman.

An official with the Governers Highway Safety Association feels that it will be difficult to get states to lower the threshold. Further MADD nd AAA declined to endorse NTSB’s suggestion. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also did not endorse the suggestion.

NTSB also made several other recommendations including more frequent used of Ignition Interlock Devices (IID) for those convicted. 17 states require the use of IID for all convicted drivers, but according to NTSB reports only about a 1/4 of those ordered to use them do. NTSB indicates that driver’s use excuses such as they don’t own a car or they won’t drive at all.