Legislation to lower Blood Alcohol Content to .05 returns after two previous failed attempts
In one arrest, an impaired driver was going the wrong way on I-90 and crashed into a state trooper.
In Thurston County this month, one man was arrested twice at this same intersection for a DUI, on consecutive nights.
The arrests are fueling calls for lawmakers to increase safety on the road. In Olympia, Senate Bill 5067 looks to reduce the state's blood alcohol limit for a DUI from .08 to .05.
The bill is still in committee but has bipartisan support.
The bill has already received a green light from Washington's Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC).
'On average it's going to take three or four drinks for a lot of people in a couple hours to exceed that .05 limit. And I think most people if you asked them- would you get in a car with someone you just saw have four drinks of alcohol? They'd probably say no,' says Mark McKechnie, with WTSC.
McKechnie calls the proposed legislation a necessary change, with a proven track record. Utah reduced their BAC limit for DUIs to .05 for drivers in 2018. Research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission found that in 2019 Utah's fatal crash rates dropped by nearly 20 percent.
Washington's bill to lower the legal limit has failed to pass the last two legislative sessions. One of the opposition points to the legislation, is the potential for higher DUI arrests and convictions.
Attorney Ryan English tells KIRO 7, 'This bill would add further congestion to court dockets…Its passage would open up the floodgates to needless litigation.'
When asked about the potential uptick in arrests, McKechnie says that hasn't been the case in Utah. 'They really haven't seen arrests increase,' says McKechnie.
The Senate Committee on Transportation will vote on SB 5067 Tuesday afternoon. If passed, it would head to the Senate floor.
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