This article was posted by Karen Jordan. It was reported and written by Saul Daniels.
One drink could be the standard for drunken driving – at least for some people if the National Transporation Safety Board has its way.
On Tuesday, the NTSB recommended states lower the blood-alcohol threshold for driving under the influence from 0.08 percent to 0.05 percent.
What do you think? Is the proposal reasonable?
About 10,000 deaths a year are related to drunken driving. The NTSB says the lower limit would save 500 to 800 lives a year.
Officials at the American Beverage Institute called the proposal "ludicrous." It said the average woman could reach the 0.05 percent limit by having one drink.
An increased police patrol is expected in Venice and in the Dockweiler Beach area during Memorial Day weekend to deter people from driving under the influence, according to the Los Angeles Police Department's West Traffic Division. DUI checkpoints are also often enforced during the holiday weekend.
People killed or injured by drunken drivers in Southland cities in 2010 (cities with 25,000-plus population; with ranking based on incidents per 1,000 population):
- Los Angeles (Ranked 4th out of 13 in its population group)
- Arcadia (Ranked 82nd out of 103 in its population group)
- Monrovia (Ranked 59th out of 93 in its population group)
- South Pasadena (Ranked 8th out of 93 in its population group)
- Pasadena (Ranked 34th out of 53 in its population group)
- West Hollywood (Ranked 2nd out of 93 in its population group)
- Beverly Hills (Ranked 6th out of 93 in its population group)
- Santa Monica (Ranked 7th out of 103 in its population group)
- Culver City (Ranked 4th out of 93 in its population group)
- Long Beach (Ranked 7th out of 13 in its population group)
- Manhattan Beach (Ranked 27th out of 93 in its population group)
- Redondo Beach (Ranked 9th out of 103 in its population group)
- Cerritos (Ranked 77 out of 93 in its population group)
