Pursuit of a tougher drunken driving law in Washington has run out of gas.
Senate Bill 5067, an attempt to lower the legal limit for driving drunk, stalled in the House Community Safety Committee on Tuesday, a few weeks after the same panel backed a nearly identical House bill.
Rep. Roger Goodman, D-Kirkland, the committee chair, said Wednesday he could not corral enough Democrat support to advance the Senate legislation. He pledged to address concerns of caucus members in hopes of getting the lower limit approved in 2027.
On Wednesday, the sponsor of the Senate bill said the outcome was “disappointing” but that he was encouraged to see it advance further than it had in four previous sessions.
“Clearly there’s still work to do in the House on this policy, but it took some time in the Senate to reach this point too, so I’m not discouraged — we’ll get there,” said Sen. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek.
Lovick’s bill sought to reduce the maximum allowable blood alcohol concentration for drivers from 0.08% to 0.05%. It passed the Senate on a 26-23 vote, the first time such a measure cleared either chamber.
If it had been enacted, Washington would have joined Utah with the toughest standard in the nation. Utah moved to a 0.05% blood alcohol concentration limit in 2018.
‘Overwhelming evidence’
Debate on lowering the limit has intensified amid a climb in traffic fatalities.
In 2021, Washington recorded 674 traffic fatalities, of which 178 occurred in crashes involving a driver who had been drinking, according to data compiled by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. In 2023, the death toll rose to 809, with 240 linked to an alcohol-impaired driver, according to commission data.
From 2020 to 2024, 936 people died in crashes involving a driver who had been drinking. Of those who died, 156 were in crashes involving an impaired driver with a blood alcohol concentration less than 0.08%, according to the commission.
A survey commissioned by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission found that 54% of those polled “strongly” or “somewhat” supported lowering the legal limit to 0.05%, with one-third opposed.
Support grew to 71% and opposition dropped to 25% after those surveyed were given information on likely impacts of a lower limit, such as a decrease in fatal crashes and fewer impaired drivers. Results of the survey of 850 residents were released in December.
Mark McKechnie, external relations director for the commission, acknowledged in a statement that “there is still more work to do” with House members to understand what changing the policy could achieve.
“Lower BAC limits simply encourage people to avoid driving after drinking more than one or two drinks. Most people do this already,” he said. “There is overwhelming evidence that 0.05 saves lives, and the negative consequences that some fear have not been found anywhere else in the world.”
Some opponents doubt a lower limit will change the culture around drinking and driving. In the Senate, foes questioned the ability to determine if one is legally drunk and worried enacting the change would drive away customers of bars, wineries and other hospitality businesses.
Progressive Democrats worry that a lower limit will result in police profiling and stopping more people in communities where overpolicing is already a concern.
Goodman said data shows moving to 0.05% will cause people to change their behavior and result in fewer stops, arrests and court cases. Similarly, he said, the experience of other nations is that alcohol sales did not drop after the limit was lowered.
Sen. Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, said it was a “huge step” to get the bill approved in the Senate. “It’ll be easier to get out next year,” he said. “We’re not giving up until we get it passed.”
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