A Washington House committee today (Tuesday) heard testimony on a bill that would lower the state’s blood alcohol level for driving under the influence from .08 to .05. The bill has already been approved by one committee, but must get past one more committee before moving on to the full House.
The House Transportation Committee heard a plea from the prime sponsor of the bill, Rep. Jon Lovick (D-Snohomish County). He was a state trooper for more than 30 years.
“I believe it is time to do everything that we can to protect those innocent motorists. I don’t think that getting killed by a drunk driver should be the price of driving on our streets,” he said.
Lovick’s bill would make Washington’s DUI threshold the lowest in the nation. A few other states, such as Utah, are also considering the .05 level.
Sarah Longwell, representing the American Beverage Institute, opposes the proposed limit. She says the data show it isn’t necessary.
“Only about 1% of traffic fatalities occur down at this level between .05 and .08. And here in Washington state, more than 75% of your alcohol-related fatalities occur at extremely high levels, .15 or above,” she said.
Julia Gorton from the Washington Hospitality Association says while her organization opposes drunk driving, the new bill would require a significant retraining initiative for hospitality employees. She says that’s not proposed as part of the bill.
Lovick’s bill is scheduled for a vote Wednesday afternoon.