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Alcohol and driving: is the 0.05% blood alcohol concentration limit justified?
Author(s) -
HOWAT PETER,
SLEET DAVID,
SMITH IAN
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
drug and alcohol review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.018
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1465-3362
pISSN - 0959-5236
DOI - 10.1080/09595239100185211
Subject(s) - blood alcohol , alcohol , limit (mathematics) , blood alcohol content , statutory law , driving under the influence , drunk driving , accident proneness , environmental health , medicine , psychology , human factors and ergonomics , poison control , injury prevention , law , mathematics , political science , chemistry , biochemistry , mathematical analysis
This paper reviews the findings of experimental and laboratory research to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to support a uniform 0.05% blood alcohol concentration (BAC) as the legal limit for driving. Statistically significant and meaningful decrements in driving‐related performance were identified at 0.05% BAC or below in many studies. Younger and inexperienced drinkers and drivers appear to be at greatest risk for alcohol‐related traffic crashes. It is concluded that on scientific grounds, there is support for setting the legal limit at 0.05%. The setting of a uniform 0.05% BAC statutory limit should be but one effort within a comprehensive approach including other legal, social, behavioural and environmental strategies to deal with the drink driving problem. [Howat P, Sleet D, Smith I. Alcohol and driving: is the 0.05% blood alcohol concentration limit justified? Drug Alcohol Rev 1991; 10: 151‐166]