COLLINSVILLE, Ill. (First Alert 4) – Right now, in Illinois, Missouri and most of the country, drivers must be at or over 0.08 to get a DUI. A proposal in the Illinois Statehouse would lower that threshold.
“Make it as safe as you possibly can out there,” said John Sapolis.
Collinsville resident John Sapolis said while lowering Illinois’ DUI threshold would not affect him, as he rarely drinks, he likes the idea of getting drinkers off the road.
“It’s bad enough out there driving around with people who are not drinking,” said Sapolis.
If a bill passes in the Illinois House of Representatives, the blood alcohol limit would be lowered, meaning fewer drinks could put somebody over the line for a DUI.
Two Chicago-area lawmakers propose lowering the threshold from 0.08 to 0.05.
“Your body still is not in a proper state to really be behind the wheel,” said Erin Doherty, Regional Executive Director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Doherty said even at 0.05, drivers are less coordinated and cannot track moving objects as well as when they are sober.
Utah is the only state in the country to have the 0.05 limit, and Doherty said one in five drivers there changed their behavior.
“There are so many other options before getting behind the wheel,” said Doherty.
Sara Floyd used to live in Utah and now calls Collinsville home.
“The Midwest people like to have a few beers while they watch their Little League games
“In Utah, you can barely get alcohol at a gas station,” said Floyd.
She said the culture in Utah is very different and thinks there should be some wiggle room for drivers.
“If one person had a beer within an hour period and then drove, they shouldn’t get a DUI for one drink,” said Floyd.
Doherty said they do not recommend driving even after a single drink.
“You really should not get behind the wheel when you’re any kind of impaired, one drink, five drinks, whatever that looks like, just don’t drive,” said Doherty.
While each body processes alcohol differently, according to the National Library of Medicine, in a two-hour period it takes a 170-pound man three to four drinks to reach 0.05, and it takes a 137-pound woman two to three drinks to reach the same state.
April Sage said she does not think this law would work, saying instead it would help more if the state added more public transit.
“I could have three beers and get a ride home safely,” said Sage.
First Alert 4 reached out to a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Transportation to see if they had any comments on this bill. The spokesperson said they are not going to comment because it is pending legislation.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, fatal crashes involving one driver who had been drinking increased 4% from 2019 to 2022, despite multiple studies showing fewer Americans are drinking.
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