Utah adopting nation’s toughest drunken driving law
Someone could get busted after one drink
Utah is moving toward adopting the nation’s strictest drunken driving law under a measure to be signed by Gov. Gary Herbert.
The legislation would lower the standard from 0.08 blood-alcohol content level — used nationwide — to 0.05 BAC. The drop means someone could be considered legally too drunk to drive after as little as a single strong drink, depending on the person’s weight and tolerance.
“We’re not asking for Prohibition,” Herbert said at a news conference Thursday. “We’re hoping people take this as a cautionary note.”
The proposal has divided the tourist-dependent state, and Herbert said he’ll call a special legislative session this summer to hash out additional details, including the implementation date. Some critics have urged Utah to delay rolling out the standard until other states act. Herbert hasn’t said when he’ll sign the bill, which in its current form would take effect at the end of 2018.
The National Transportation Safety Board backs the Utah bill and recommends all states adopt the 0.05 standard, if not lower, arguing that stricter laws could save nearly 1,800 lives annually. About 10,000 people die in alcohol-related accidents on U.S. roads every year, the NTSB says.
Utah has a complicated history with alcohol: Members of the Mormon Church, also known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, generally don’t consume alcohol, and the state has required non-Mormons to jump through logistical hoops if they want to drink in restaurants or bars. Utah is 60% Mormon, and the church has a strong influence on the state’s politics and public life.
The Utah Restaurant Association opposes the change and plans to argue for revisions or delays. Association president Melva Sine said the measure imperils the state’s fast-growing economy. Liquor sales are usually a key profit maker for restaurants.
“Our concern is that we’re going to criminalize people who are going out to enjoy an evening,” Sine said. “We feel like it will change the social structure of our entire state.”