Good morning, Chair and members of the Committee. My name is Tom Chapman. I have the honor of serving as the 46th Member of the National Transportation Safety Board.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of Senate Bill 424, which would lower the per se Blood Alcohol Concentration limit from .08 to .05.
Since 2013, the NTSB has recommended that all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico establish a per se BAC limit of .05 or lower. In 2018, Utah became the first state to do so and subsequently saw reductions in both its fatal crash and fatality rates relative to the rest of the United States. Passage of SB 424 would make Connecticut the second state to embrace a change that will save lives and cut the number of senseless and completely avoidable crashes.
In 2021, there were a staggering 13,384 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in the United States, the highest number since 2008. Nationally, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities represent almost one-third of all traffic deaths every year.
Various countermeasures have been tried, and some have made a significant difference. Still, the number of crashes and deaths remains stubbornly high. In Connecticut, there were 112 fatalities involving an impaired driver in 2021, nearly 40% of all traffic fatalities.
More needs to be done. And research suggests that lowering the legal BAC limit to .05 will reduce fatal alcohol-related crashes by an estimated 11 percent. Utah saw reductions in crash rates and alcohol involvement in crashes while there was no negative impact on alcohol sales, tourism, tax revenues, or DUI arrests.
A .05 BAC law works in part as a general deterrent. It helps modify the behavior of all drivers by encouraging them to separate drinking from driving. After the Utah lower BAC law went into effect, an evaluation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that more than one in five drinkers reported that they made changes – such as making sure alternative transportation was available when drinking away from home.
Utah’s experience is a real success story, one we hope to see repeated in Connecticut.
Because we know it works, we at the NTSB strongly support legislation that will lower the legal BAC per se limit to .05. Addressing impaired driving on America’s roads requires bold leadership. We applaud Connecticut lawmakers for considering this key step. And we extend our appreciation to the Commissioner and the Connecticut DOT for taking a stand on such an important issue.
