LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Michigan Needs to Lower its BAC Limit to 0.05%

December 5, 2025

A Michigan community leader is advocating for the state to reduce its legal blood alcohol content limit for drivers from 0. 08% to 0. 05% in response to the state's persistent drunk driving fatality problem.

Who is affected

250-350 people killed annually in Michigan due to alcohol-impaired crashes (447 in 2024 specifically)
Family members, friends, and neighbors of those killed
Michigan drivers who would be subject to the lower BAC limit
Michigan residents who use the state's roads

What action is being taken

No explicit ongoing actions are described in the article. The letter is a call to action rather than a description of current initiatives.

Why it matters

This matters because drunk driving is the leading cause of traffic deaths in Michigan, claiming hundreds of lives annually in preventable crashes. Research demonstrates that driving performance is impaired at 0.05% BAC, with slower reaction times and declined judgment increasing crash risk. Lowering the BAC limit is a proven, evidence-based intervention that costs nothing to implement and has successfully reduced alcohol-related crashes and fatalities in other states and most industrialized nations that have already adopted this standard.

What's next

The author urges Michigan lawmakers to prioritize and adopt a 0.05% BAC law
Readers are encouraged to contact their elected officials to support the proposed policy change
Additional information is available at https://micap.org/05-saves-lives/

Read full article from source: Michigan Chronicle