I read with interest the article in which Doris Aiken recommended reduction of the blood alcohol level for driving to 0.05 percent ("Lower DWI rule asked by advocate," Aug. 15). I am strongly opposed to this. In fact, I think the present legal limit of 0.08 percent should be restored to the former limit of 0.10 percent.
What is at stake is the ability of a law-abiding citizen to go out for dinner with friends or family and consume two beers or two glasses of wine. I am quite sure that these moderate drinkers are not the folks responsible for the awful car crashes we read about.
Instead, we need to be concerned about the problem drinkers, who frequently have blood levels two or three times the legal limit when apprehended. These are almost fatal levels, but problem drinkers are habituated to them.
Lowering the legal limit to 0.05 percent will do nothing to address this problem and will make criminals out of people whose alcohol consumption does not constitute a genuine public threat.
Worth Gretter
Menands
