Driving Under the Influence

.08 LAWS

The .08 Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) limit was signed into law on July 2, 1997. When one's BAC is measured at .08, drivers are considered legally intoxicated and, therefore, are prohibited from driving.

Alcohol involvement is the greatest single factor in motor vehicle crash deaths and injuries. At .08, all drivers are impaired to the point that critical driving skills are greatly diminished. Studies indicate that at a .08 BAC level, a driver's steering, braking, speed control, lane changing, gear changing and judgments of speed and distance are all significantly impaired.

To reach .08, a 170-pound male would have to consume four drinks in a one hour period on an empty stomach. A 137-pound female would have to consume at least three drinks in one hour to reach .08. A drink is considered a 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine or a cocktail containing 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.

During 2007, 507 people in Illinois were killed in alcohol-related crashes, which is 41% of the 1,249 total motor vehicle crash fatalities. Nationally, alcohol-related crashes took the lives of 15,387 people, which is 37% of the 41,059 total motor vehicle deaths.

.08 Fact Sheet

States with .08 BAC Laws

In 1999, a study was done for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) concerning the effectiveness of .08 laws. In 1997, when only 15 states had passed .08 legislation, the report estimated that about 275 lives were saved by these laws. It further stated that an additional 590 lives could have been saved had all 50 states had .08 laws. NHTSA is currently updating this report to reflect those states that have passed .08 laws since 1997.

Sources:
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
National Commission Against Drunk Driving