On Tuesday a judge placed at least four photographers under formal investigation for involuntary manslaughter and failing to aid victims trapped in the car's wreckage. If the tragic crash is determined to be alcohol-related, it will unfortunately not be an isolated incident, experts say. In general, that is not the case, says Mr. Shearouse. Most US states set the level at which a driver is declared legally drunk at 0.10 percent alcohol in his or her bloodstream. Fifteen have a lower limit of 0.08, which equates to about four drinks per hour for an average size man.
European nations tend to have lower legal blood-alcohol limits.
Countries that set the bar at 0.08 include Austria, Canada, Denmark, Great Britain, Ireland, and Spain. Other nations with this relatively low limit include Belgium, Finland, Greece, the Netherlands, and Norway. Global Variations on Drunk Driving One way to combat drunk driving is to lower the legal limit for defining when a motorist is impaired. In many parts of the world, no limits are on the books. BAC limit varies depending on the state.