Citation

Hingson R, Heeren T, Winter M. Inj. Prev. 2000; 6(2): 109-114.

Affiliation

Boston University School of Public Health: Social and Behavioral Sciences Department, MA 02118, USA. rhingson@bu.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

10875666

PMCID

PMC1730627

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed whether states that lowered legal blood alcohol limits from 0.10% to 0.08% in 1993 and 1994 experienced post-law reductions in alcohol related fatal crashes. METHODS: Six states that adopted 0.08% as the legal blood alcohol limit in 1993 and 1994 were paired with six nearby states that retained a 0.10% legal standard. Within each pair, comparisons were made for the maximum equal available number of pre-law and post-law years. RESULTS: States adopting 0.08% laws experienced a 6% greater post-law decline in the proportion of drivers in fatal crashes with blood alcohol levels at 0.10% or higher and a 5% greater decline in the proportion of fatal crashes that were alcohol related at 0.10% or higher. CONCLUSIONS: If all states adopted the 0.08% legal blood alcohol level, 400-500 fewer traffic fatalities would occur annually.