[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.