OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington State Senate passed a bill that would reduce the legal blood alcohol limit for drivers from 0.08% to 0.05%. The measure passed by only a few votes and now moves to the House for further consideration.
Supporters of the bill argue the change will save lives, citing traffic safety data showing a decrease in fatalities in areas with lower limits. However, representatives from the hospitality industry have raised concerns about the difficulty of recognizing signs of impairment at the 0.05% level and the potential liability for staff.
Peter See is in favor of the bill. His mother, 69-year-old Tao Bunta, was killed by a drunk driver. Bunta was struck while backing into her driveway. See says he heard the crash and ran outside.
“I didn’t realize it was my mom’s car,” See said. “I went to the passenger side, I pulled her out…and that’s when it dawned on me, like I’m pulling my own mom out of the vehicle and I’m trying to give her CPR and just, you know, it was a lot at that time.”
See noted that the driver who struck his mother had a blood alcohol level four times the current legal limit. Despite the extreme intoxication in that specific case, See supports lowering the threshold for all drivers to prevent future tragedies. “I’m all for it. I mean, we can go lower, let’s do it,” See said. “And the reason is, it could save so many lives. So many, so many, lives.”
Sen. Marko Liias, the sponsor of the bill, said the legislation is designed to protect everyone on the road, including first responders and work crews. “It’s not just the driver or the person in the other car that may be hit,” Liias said. “It’s also folks on the side of the road, our troopers, our construction crews. They’re getting hit by drunk driver as well and we want to protect everybody that’s out there.”
2017 data shared by the Traffic Safety Commission indicates that lowering the limit to 0.05% resulted in an 11% decrease in alcohol-related fatalities. The commission reported that the change had no impact on the total number of arrests, overall alcohol consumption or the hospitality industry.
Liias said the goal of the bill is to encourage responsible behavior. “What we’re trying to tell people is drink as much as you want, enjoy as much as you want, just don’t drive,” Liias said.
Anthony Anton of the Washington Hospitality Association expressed concern regarding the liability for service staff. Anton said it is difficult for employees to identify when a customer has reached a 0.05% blood alcohol level compared to higher levels of intoxication. “This is about the liability for staff who’s just trying to do their job,” Anton said. “And it’s impossible to recognize signs below 0.05. So, you just have to go at a different level.” Anton added that the state should focus on enforcing current laws and addressing the use of other substances that are not currently policed.
The bill is now headed to the House for consideration. If it becomes law, Washington will join Utah as the only states in the country with a 0.05% legal limit.