What Lowering the BAC Level to .05 Means for You and How it Can Affect an Annapolis DUI

Drunk driving is very real, and extremely dangerous. In fact, nearly 10,000 fatalities occur each year as a result of drunk driving. The National Transportation Safety Board wants to lower the legal blood alcohol content limit from .08 to .05 in an attempt to decrease the amount of people who die because of drunk driving. Here, an Anne Arundel County drunk driving lawyer discusses how lowering the level affects you and getting an Annapolis DUI.

It Depends on the State

The NTSB doesn’t have the legal authority to change what the BAC in Maryland is, rather, they can only make a recommendation. Each state has to approve the new limit before they institute it. What this means for you is that your chances of getting an Anne Arundel County DUI will likely stay the same.

It Takes Time

If history repeats itself, even if Maryland does decide to lower its BAC level, doing so will take some time. The last time the BAC was lowered, which was from .10 to .08, it took 21 years for all states to agree. Therefore, it will likely take a considerable amount of time before the BAC level is changed, if it is changed at all.

It Could Prevent You From Becoming Injured

The NTSB believes that lowering the BAC level from .08 to .05 could save 1,000 lives each year. The board says that at .05, a person begins having difficulties with depth perception and other visual functions. At .08, a person’s cognitive abilities become impaired. Furthermore, a person’s chances of getting into an accident at a BAC level of .05 increases by 39 percent, whereas the chances go up to 100 percent at .08.

Regardless of what your BAC level is, you can still get an Annapolis DUI. If this happens to you, you’ll need to hire an attorney to advise you of your rights, and help you fight for them.

Call the law offices of Jimeno and Gray at (410) 590-9401 for more information and to speak with an Anne Arundel County DUI lawyer about your case. Request your free copy of the book The ABCs of DWIs in Maryland, written by attorney Gregory Jimeno, when you call.