Study looks at impact of strictest blood-alcohol driving limits in the US
ABC News
Since Utah passed strict drunk driving legislation, there have been fewer traffic deaths overall in the state and lower driver alcohol involvement, a new study found.
In the five years since Utah passed the strictest legislation in the country on blood alcohol driving limits, there have been fewer traffic deaths overall in the state and lower driver alcohol involvement, a federal study found.
A law that lowered the state's legal blood alcohol concentration limit to .05 from .08, the national standard, went into effect in 2018.
In a new study published Friday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration compared data between 2016 -- the last full year before the law was passed -- and 2019 -- the first year under the lower legal limit. It found that Utah had fewer traffic fatalities and fewer fatal crashes in 2019 despite drivers logging more miles.
There were 248 fatalities and 225 fatal crashes in 2019, compared to 281 fatalities and 259 fatal crashes in 2016, according to the report.
