THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Vice President
___________________________________________________________________________
_____
For Immediate Release Contact: James E.
Kennedy
Friday, October 6, 2000 (202)
456-7035
STATEMENT BY THE VICE PRESIDENT
By passing legislation to adopt .08 blood alcohol content (BAC) as a
uniform drunk driving standard for our country, the United States Congress
will help save many lives. Every year, thousands of lives are lost because
of alcohol-related accidents. Currently 18 states, the District of
Columbia and Puerto Rico have adopted .08 BAC as the legal limit. They
have seen an 8 percent drop in alcohol related traffic deaths.
The legislation approved today can help us achieve a substantial
reduction in drunk driving fatalities across our land. I applaud the
members of both parties who supported this measure. Senator Frank
Lautenberg deserves credit for his steadfast leadership in working toward
today's success. It's a major victory for the thousands of mothers and
fathers, safety advocates and members of organizations like MADD who have
fought for stronger drunk driving laws. And it sends a powerful message --
particularly to young people -- that we, as a nation, will not tolerate
mixing alcohol and driving.
###
President and First Lady | Vice President and Mrs. Gore
Record of Progress | The Briefing Room
Gateway to Government | Contacting the White House | White House for Kids
White House History | White House Tours | Help
Privacy Statement