    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
    [March 30, 1998]
    [Page 473]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Legislation To Establish a Uniform Blood Alcohol Content
    Standard To Combat Drunk Driving
    March 30, 1998

        Although my trip to Africa precludes me from joining Congresswoman
    Nita Lowey, Congressman Charles
    Canady, and others gathered in the
    Roosevelt Room, I want to state once more my strong support for
    legislation to put the brakes on drunk driving.
        Setting a uniform limit for impaired driving at .08 blood alcohol
    content (BAC) will help us crack down on drunk driving nationwide. At a
    time when crime all across America is going down, we still lose an
    American to drunk driving every 30 minutes--every half hour a family is
    shattered, a child, a parent, a neighbor is lost forever.
        By establishing a strong but sensible limit on blood alcohol
    content, we could save as many as 600 lives a year. And a uniform drunk
    driving standard would still allow adults to drink responsibly and
    moderately--since the .08 BAC standard is not reached until a 170-pound
    man has had more than four drinks in an hour, and three for a typical
    woman.
        This should not be a partisan issue. Indeed, the bipartisan work of
    Congresswoman Lowey and Congressman
    Canady and Senators Lautenberg and DeWine, proves that when
    leaders from both parties come together, we can set aside political
    differences to save lives and serve America. It is my fervent hope that
    the majority of the House will join the large bipartisan majority in the
    Senate and send me legislation that will make our streets safe, our
    drivers sober, and our laws more sensible.