There has been an increasing push by advocacy groups across the nation to lower the legal limit for drunk driving. The National Transportation Safety Board is recently pushing states to adopt a .05 blood alcohol content level as the legal limit. Supporters of the change argue the lower level could save many more lives as fewer individuals would choose to drive after consuming any alcohol. The statistics on this issue are somewhat grey as proponents suggest impairment occurs at the .05 limit and others argue the opposite citing statistics indicating most people are not impaired at even the .08 level. At any rate, it is not unlikely that such a change in the law could take effect in Utah.
The Utah legislature recently convened for its general session and many wonder if this type of bill would come up. Going into the session there was a lot of talk about the potential for change in the legal limit although to our knowledge such a bill has not made it out of committee yet. We will of course keep you posted on any new developments in Utah’s DUI and Alcohol Related Laws. One issue we know which has been discussed this year on Capital Hill is the “Zion Curtain” and whether or not law makers will be willing to change the silly law requiring restaurants to mix drinks in the back as opposed to over a bar where children can view it. No bill has made it all the way through the process in this regard but we will keep you updated on this as well.
BAC Levels in DUI Cases
Many believe a .08 BAC level is already to low and should be adjusted in the opposite direction. If you are charged with a DUI in Provo Utah, your BAC level can have a significant impact on how your case is resolved. Prosecutors often look at lower BAC levels, those slightly above .08, differently than they do those that are more like twice the legal limit, .16 and above. A Provo Utah DUI Lawyer at our office can help prepare you for what to expect based on your BAC level. For a free review of your case, call us today or send us an email.
