Washington could become the second state in the nation to lower the legal limit of a driver's blood alcohol content (BAC) from .08% to .05%.
"Impairment starts with the first drink," the bill's sponsor, state Sen. John Lovick , told the committee. The former Snohomish County sheriff and state trooper said the change is aimed at decreasing fatal and serious crashes.
"It is very clear to me that drunk driving is impacting the safety of our communities, and it is time that we do something," he said.Last year, 745 people died in crashes on Washington roads — the most since 1990 — and more than half were impairment-related, according to information provided to the committee by theAt least 32% of the state's fatal crashes involve alcohol-positive drivers.
Crash risk increases substantially for drivers with a BAC of .05–.079 because impaired drivers are more likely to speed, less able to react and control their vehicles, and less likely to wear seat belts. Utah saw a nearly 20% decrease in fatal crashes, and saw about 10% decreases in both serious injury crashes and all crashes in the 12 months following the implementation of its law lowering the BAC limit.Representatives of hospitality and alcohol-selling industries oppose the measure, saying it would harm the state's wineries industry and criminalize moderate drinking by responsible adults.
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