By Hank Russell
Now that it is the middle of summer, the risk for reckless driving — especially drunk driving — has become more prevalent. According to the Institute for Traffic Safety, 31% of all motor vehicle fatalities were the result of drunk driving.
In response to these preventable deaths, the New York State Legislature is planning to reintroduce legislation next year that would lower the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels for drunk driving and aggravated drunk driving. But Ira Slavit a partner with the Mineola-based law firm Levine & Slavit PLLC, and a road safety advocate, says the elected officials in Albany should address the issue this year before more drivers are killed on the road.
Earlier this year, two separate bills were introduced — one in the Assembly by Jo Anne Simon (D-Brooklyn) and the other in the Senate by John C. Liu (D-Bayside) — that would lower the BAC levels from 0.08 to 0.05 for drunk driving and from 0.18 to 0.12 for aggravated drunk driving. Both versions of the bill are currently in committee. Both chambers of the state Legislature have introduced these pieces of legislation in the past but, unfortunately, they have also been stuck in committee.
“Next year is too late to address this serious issue,” Slavit said. “Too many lives have been lost as a result of drunk driving. What they should do is call an emergency session to bring this to a vote and pass it so it reaches the governor’s desk as quickly as possible. Utah already lowered the BAC levels and, within a year, fatal alcohol-related crashes went down 20%. New York should follow suit, but they shouldn’t wait to do so.”
Be the first to comment