Good afternoon, 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 1376. This important legislation would lower the State’s per se impairment threshold from .08 to .05.
Since 2013, the NTSB has recommended that states 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 .05 legislation in Connecticut would make it the second state to embrace a change that will save lives and cut the number of senseless and completely avoidable crashes.
In 2022, there were a staggering 13,524 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in the US. That is the highest number since 2008, and it represents 32% of all traffic fatalities in 2022.
Connecticut alone lost 127 lives to alcohol-impaired driving in 2022, representing 35 percent of all traffic fatalities in the State. In Connecticut, alcohol-impaired fatalities increased 8.5% from 2021 to 2022, from 117 to 127 fatalities. Alcohol-impaired fatalities in Connecticut are up 30% since 2019, from 98 in 2019 to 127 fatalities in 2022.
Various countermeasures to combat alcohol-impaired driving have been tried over the years, and some have made a significant difference. Still, the number of crashes and deaths remains stubbornly high.
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. More than 100 countries have established a BAC limit of .05 to reduce alcohol-related crashes. The benefits of lower BAC limits are well documented.
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 all of you as lawmakers for considering this key step.
That concludes my statement on behalf of the National Transportation Safety Board. I am happy to take your questions.
