It always amazes me that people still do not get the message. Even one can create havoc. Why is it necessary to drink and then drive?
Because one CAN do so safely?
http://www.ridl.us/articles/out_of_control.html
Lie: Drivers with BACs .08 and over are dangerously impaired and should be arrested, prosecuted, and severely punished--even first offenders. Citing tragic, heartbreaking individual stories of loved ones killed and lives ruined by drivers supposedly in the .08-.10 range, MADD convinced Congress in 2000 to force states to lower their legal limits to .08. Thirty-four states had done so by this January, and the rest (fearing the loss millions of dollars in federal highway funds) likely will comply by the October 1, 2003, deadline.
Truth: NHTSA's own highly questionable 2001 data shows clearly that targeting drivers in that low-BAC range is an egregious waste of resources. Less than 1.3% of 2001 fatalities involved a driver between .08 and .10 BAC vs. 12.4% at .15 or greater. Even the .00-.02 (trace level) range accounts for about 1.2% of fatalities. Should we target that group next? Don't ask. "Anyone with a modest understanding of this issue, and who is honest, " says NMA President Jim Baxter, "knows that drivers with low BACs such as .08% are no more likely to be involved in an accident than someone with a BAC of 0.0%."