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Santa Barbara Law Enforcement Officials React to Proposed Lowering of DUI Threshold

By Renee Nordstrand on June 6, 2013

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently released a report in which it advocated that the nationwide threshold for blood-alcohol content (BAC) be lowered from 0.08 to 0.05.

The report pointed out that the U.S. is lagging behind other nations in the European Union that have already adopted the lower BAC.  While overall DUI (driving under the influence) deaths in the United States have dropped substantially over the past several decades, the percentage of alcohol-related accident deaths compared to overall accident fatalities has remained fairly constant at about one-third — about 10,000 deaths a year.

A spokesman for the Santa Barbara Police told Noozhawk.com that he had no doubt that a lowered nationwide BAC would have the desired impact that it seeks. He said that Santa Barbara police take DUI enforcement very seriously and noted that there had been 39 DUI arrests in April and 49 in March.

A captain with the Lompoc Police stated that although his department has no official stance on the proposed change, “We’re not in favor of anybody driving impaired at any level.”

“Mothers Against Drunk Driving appreciates the National Transportation Safety Board for bringing the American public’s attention to the fact that drinking and driving continues to be a major problem on our highways,” the non-profit advocacy group said in a statement.

There are still too many injuries and fatalities caused by impaired drivers in the Santa Barbara and Los Angeles areas. If you have been injured, or if you have lost a loved one due to an impaired driver, the automobile accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Reneé J. Nordstrand can help you seek the justice you deserve. You may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, funeral costs and other damages

If you’ve been the victim of a negligent motorist, call our Santa Barbara office at (805) 962-2022 or our Encino office at (818) 981-3530 for a free, no-obligation review of your case.