National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

About the author: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation, conducts safety programs to reduce deaths, injuries, and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes.

The blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) is the measurement used to determine the amount of alcohol present in a person's body. Drivers with blood-alcohol concentrations of .08 percent and above experience significant impairment of their driving abilities, increasing their risk of being killed or injured in motor vehicle crashes. Twenty-six states have lowered BAC limits to .08 percent from .10 percent or higher, enabling the conviction of seriously impaired drivers. However, opposition to new .08 laws continues due to pressure from the alcohol and hospitality industries. Because the American public strongly supports legislation and programs to deter...