Lovick Bill to Reduce Legal Blood Alcohol Concentration Limit for Drivers to .05 Passes Senate
OLYMPIA – Legislation to prevent drunk driving and drunk driving fatalities passed the Senate today.
Senate Bill 5067, introduced by Sen. John Lovick (D-Mill Creek), would reduce the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit – when someone is automatically considered to be driving under the influence – from .08% to .05%. According to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) traffic fatalities increased 20% between 2021 and 2023. In 2023, 810 people lost their lives in fatal collisions – the highest number since 1990. Over half of all fatal collisions involved an impaired driver.
“These are the facts: In the last decade, over 6,000 people have been killed on our road,” Lovick said. “When a driver has a BAC between .05% and .079%, they are seven times more likely to get into a fatal collision. Drunk driving deaths are completely preventable. I am proud that Washington state is taking action to keep people safe on our roads. I know this policy will save lives.”
Both the Washington State Department of Transportation and WTSC have recommended lowering the BAC limit to .05% as part of their “Target Zero” plan to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries on state roads by 2030. National Traffic Safety Board data shows that lowering the BAC limit deters drunk driving by reducing the number of people who decide to drive after consuming alcohol.
SB 5067 specifies that it does not change any current law related to the civil liability of licensed commercial or quasi-commercial alcohol vendors. In Utah, where lawmakers passed a similar bill in 2018, alcohol sales, per capita consumption, tourism, and tax revenues continued to increase despite the change to state law.
If enacted, WTSC would be tasked with implementing a public information campaign making people aware of the new state law.
Follow the bill’s progress here.
