Happy post-snow Thursday,
Rep. Joe Miro, R-Newark, wants Delaware to become the second state in the nation to lower the blood-alcohol level for drivers to .05. (See story below).
The first state to approve the law was Utah, which will put the measure into effect late this year.
Why .05? The recommendation came from the National Transportation Board a few years back. Commercial truck drivers already have a lower standard.
Until Utah passed its law, no other state had gone along with the NTSB’s recommendation. Utah’s situation is unique. The state has a large percentage of non-drinking members of the Mormon faith as well as a tortured history with alcohol regulation.
The question is whether the measure will be effective and is worth the risk of damaging the health of a key industry. A group that represents restaurants says only two percent of traffic fatalities involve someone with an alcohol level between .05 and .08.
The group went on to claim that the level of impairment is comparable to the legal use of a hands-free phone.
If that is the case, it may be time for the state to step up enforcement of distracted driving violations that are often associated with accidents, before jumping into a lower blood-alcohol level.
Granted, the effectiveness of enforcement is blunted by the mistaken belief that hands-free of mobile devices is safe, as well as the growing number of video displays in vehicles that can lead to a potentially fatal second or two of not looking at the road.
The distraction crackdown should also apply to pedestrians whose use of mobile devices contributes to injuries and even fatalities.
Here’s hoping your commute was smooth and your back isn’t hurting after shoveling that heavy snow. Our last newsletter of the week arrives tomorrow. – Doug Rainey, Editor
