NTSB - National Transportation Safety Board

01/27/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/27/2025 13:10

Oral Testimony on HB-1315 Concerning Impaired Driving before the Washington House Community Safety Committee

​​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 House Bill 1315. 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 Washington 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.

The State of Washington alone lost 256 lives to alcohol-impaired driving in 2022. This was the third straight year in Washington with over 200 alcohol-related traffic fatalities, and it represents a 41% increase in the number of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities since just 2019. In each of these years, Washington has exceeded the national average in the percentage of traffic fatalities that are alcohol related.

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 lowering 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 the bill sponsors and 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.