Blood Alcohol Content(BAC):
How Low Should We Go to Prevent DWI Crashes?

For Immediate Release

June 30, 2004

Contact:    Linda Atkinson, Executive Director - (505) 881-1084

What level of BAC should be permitted to stem the tide of DWI crashes in New Mexico? That’s the question that national traffic safety expert Dr. David Preusser will address Thursday July 22 in Albuquerque. Preusser, who has been conducting research in the area of highway safety since 1971, will share the results of several studies which shed light on this important question for policy makers and law enforcement officials at 4 p.m. July 22 at the Uptown Marriott on Louisiana.

The free event is co-sponsored by the DWI Resource Center, Inc. and the Behavioral Health Research Center of the Southwest. The event is part of a series of national speakers brought to New Mexico to share the results of DWI research in the informal setting of "mocktail" happy hour.

David Preusser is currently the principal investigator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) Buckle Up America project and others dealing with sanctions for convicted drinking drivers. He participated in some of the earliest research in the area of drugs and driving. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Safety Research and is a member of the International Council on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety.

In recent years blood alcohol limits have replaced more subjective evaluations of impaired driving and are widely used to convict offenders. In New Mexico, those suspected of DWI must undergo a BAC analysis and if their level is over .08 they are deemed to be impaired. For young drivers under 21 the standard is .02, and for commercial drivers the limit is .04. But do these standards accurately measure risk?

"There is widespread agreement that those at the upper BAC levels, from .15-.20 should not be driving," says David Preusser. "But, there is less agreement on the risk posed by those who measure in the moderate range from .02-.10."

Preusser says that most other industrial countries have set permissible BAC levels lower than the US, usually at about the .05 level. In the US lawmakers face conflicting pressure from the alcohol and hospitality industry, as well as from health advocates on risks posed by moderate drinking. Different states have different permissible levels.

"Consistent results from the studies point to a problem at BAC levels as low as .01 or .02," says Preusser, "and that has implications for sentencing, law making and how to target enforcement."

"We are always looking for guidance from the research to further our efforts in reducing DWI-related injuries," says Linda Atkinson, executive director of the DWI Resource Center. "Perhaps we send a mixed message with New Mexico’s BAC level at .08. Drinking drivers don’t think they’re putting anyone at risk for a crash, if they aren’t legally drunk. I think this research can dispell that myth."

For more information on the studies or the afternoon program, call Linda Atkinson at (505) 881-1084. The presentation will be video-taped and available for purchase at the DWI Resource Center website. The speaker's presentation is also available for download on the website.

The DWI Resource Center is a tax-exempt 501(c)3 New Mexico organization formed to reduce the social and economic impact of DWI through public awareness, education, prevention programs and research. The Center also provides assistance to victims and serves as a central clearinghouse for information on DWI and victims' rights.