Man in New York State Allegedly Drove Three and a Half Times Over BAC Limit

Officials say a man from outside the state was arrested in New York while operating a vehicle way over the legal limit. The arrest follows at late night crash, as police report the driver hit a guardrail on a major interstate.

New York To Lower Legal BAC Limit?

Advocates have long gathered in Albany to rally for change. What these people are pushing for, according to WNYT, is for the state to lower its legal drunk driving limit. The current BAC limit for New York state is 0.08%. Some feel it should be lower.

A number of lawmakers have pushed in recent years to lower the state's legal limit, including State Senator John Lui, who said he would make it a top priority to lower the limit to 0.05%.

Another proponent of lower BAC laws includes Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon. 

According to statistics posted at CBS, New York saw 335 alcohol-related deaths in 2022, which was a 30% percent increase over the last five years. Currently, Utah is the only state in the country that has a limit of .05%, which went into effect at the end of 2018.

Man in New York State Allegedly Drove Three and a Half Times Over BAC Limit

New York State Police said in a press release that on September 16, at about 11:33 PM, troopers assigned to the Latham Interstate Patrol responded to the report of a one-car crash into the guiderail on I-787 in Albany.

The uninjured driver was identified as a 32-year-old man from of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Troopers say that the suspect was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated and other traffic violations.

The driver was transported for processing where he recorded a 0.28% BAC, which is three and a half times over the legal BAC limit. The suspect was issued tickets, is due back in court in October, and released to a sober third party.