Lawmakers, advocates rally in Albany to lower blood alcohol content level for DWI

NEW YORK -- New York lawmakers and the Department of Transportation called Tuesday to lower the blood alcohol content level for a DWI charge.

State and city leaders, along with advocates, rallied in Albany in support of the issue.

They want New York state to lower its legal blood alcohol concentration from .08 to .05.

Read More: New York City pushing state to lower blood alcohol content threshold for DWI

Sen. John Liu sponsored legislation to do so in the state Senate.

On CBS News New York, the lawmaker told us how the National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that this is done in all states.

Watch

"Currently, there's only one state that has done it, the state of Utah, and they have seen their fatalities and injuries drop significantly by something like 20 percent with just one year's experience," he said, adding he believes .05 will "become the global norm. We just want to get to it quicker."

Jo Anne Simon has sponsored similar legislation in the state Assembly.