Statement on Congressional Action on a National Blood Alcohol Content Standard To Combat Drunk Driving

Congress took a courageous step today to save lives by keeping drunk drivers off the roads. This morning House and Senate conferees approved a transportation spending bill that includes a critical measure to help set a nationwide impaired driving standard of .08 blood alcohol content (BAC). This commonsense nationwide limit will save an estimated 500 lives a year and prevent thousands of injuries.

Our progress on .08 BAC marks a new milestone in our ongoing effort to crack down on drunk driving. It is the result of years of hard work by safety advocates across the country. I applaud Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the more then 400 young people visiting Washington today who have put a national spotlight on this critical safety measure. I also want to commend the tireless efforts and leadership of Senators Frank Lautenberg and Richard Shelby, Representatives Frank Wolf and Nita Lowey, as well as U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater. Today's remarkable achievement shows that when we work together, we can make America's streets and highways safer for all.