THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_______________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release September 19,
2000
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
A new study released today by Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater
underscores the need for Congress to act swiftly to strengthen
protections against drunk driving.
The study by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National
Highway Transportation Safety Administration makes clear that crucial
driving skills are seriously impaired when an individual?s blood alcohol
content (BAC) reaches .08. Simply put, this study lends further proof
that at .08, a person is too impaired to get behind the wheel. To help
stem drunk driving and other safety hazards, the Department is releasing
nearly $44 million in highway safety grants to 38 states and the
District of Columbia. These grants will provide important incentives for
states to save lives through tough programs and penalties to reduce
drunk driving and increase seat belt use.
But we must do more to make our streets and highways safer. In the
Transportation Appropriations conference report, Congress has the
opportunity right now to save an estimated 500 lives a year by setting a
nationwide standard of .08 BAC. The Senate courageously passed this
life-saving measure in June thanks to the leadership of Senators
Lautenberg and Shelby. I urge the Congress to send me a final bill that
helps make .08 BAC the law of the land without further delay.
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