Washington lawmakers consider lowering BAC limit to 0.05
WA bill would lower BAC limit to .05
Washington lawmakers will discuss a new bill that would lower the blood alcohol limit for drivers.
OLYMPIA, Wash. - State lawmakers are set to discuss a new bill that would lower the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for drivers in Washington.
House Bill 2362 would reduce the legal BAC from 0.08 to 0.05.
The bill cites studies showing that lowering the limit to 0.05 reduces drunk driving-related deaths by an average of 11 percent. Last week, the House Committee on Community Safety held a public hearing on the proposal.
Opponents argue the bill would be ineffective, noting that most DUI crashes involve drivers with a BAC above 0.08. Supporters disagree, including the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, which says the current limit does not go far enough.
What they're saying:
"Unfortunately, we did a survey in November, and we found – among people who drink alcohol – that there [were] one in four of those people who did not believe that they could be impaired below 0.08 BAC," said Mark McKechnie, with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.
The other side:
"It will not stop repeat offenders or high BAC drivers. It will not prevent drug-impaired crashes. Instead, it widens criminal liability to include responsible adults who stop drinking before impairment," said Sean DeWitts, with the Washington Hospitality Association.
If the bill becomes law, Washington would not be the first state to adopt a 0.05 BAC limit. Utah is currently the only other state in the U.S. to lower its BAC limit, a change that took effect in 2018.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle.
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