California's DUI standards could be getting stricter.
With Assembly Bill 1713, introduced by Assembly Member Autumn Burke and Assembly Member Heath Flora, lawmakers are pushing to lower the legal blood alcohol limit to .05%. The legal limit is currently .08%.
The bill was coauthored by East Bay Sen. Jerry Hill who says a tougher blood alcohol standard will reduce deaths on California roads.
"Drunk driving and the death and injuries it causes are entirely preventable. There is no reason for another family to suffer the loss of a child and other loved ones. We have the tools and the means to stop these tragedies now," Hill said.
Parents who lost their 15-month-old son, Liam, when a drunk driver hit the baby's stroller in a crosswalk spoke at the Capital on Wednesday alongside Hill. Marcus Kowal and Mishel Eder said the boy's death was "completely preventable."
Currently more than 1,000 people die as a result of drunk driving each year.
If the bill passes, California will join Utah as the only states in the nation to adopt the stricter .05% standard.
