Convictions for driving under the influence have become flat after most of the states in the United Sates adopted a legal blood alcohol content of 0.08 and increased the minimum legal drinking age to 21 years of age. James C. Fell from the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation in Calverton, Maryland and Gregory Bloss with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism examined data from police stops in an effort to determine what measures best prevent drunk driving.
The researchers admit to polling politicians at the national and state level to increase the legal drinking age to 25 and lower the legal blood alcohol content to 0.05 percent. Finding no political support for their cause, the experts examined what has worked best in preventing drunk driving. The researchers show that the rate of traffic stops and the number of DUI convictions had the greatest deterrent effect on drinking and driving over the last 25 years. All communities that had an increased police presence had a lower rate of drinking and driving.
The exploratory investigation aimed to find out what worked best in the past. The future the researchers propose means higher taxes for increasing police presence. The data for the analysis was taken from the National Roadside Survey and included traffic stops where individuals had a blood alcohol content of more than 0.05 percent.
The study lays the groundwork for an increase in the legal drinking age to 25 years of age and a reduction in the legal driving limit of alcohol to 0.05 percent. The report reminds people that over 10.000 people in the United States are killed every year as a result of drunken driving. The lower limit for blood alcohol content appears to be the best way to go. Raising the legal drinking age to 25 will make Prohibition look like a house party.
