Currently, the legal blood alcohol limit in Washington state is .08 percent. This is also true in every other state in America until Dec. 30 when a Utah law lowering its legal limit to .05 percent takes effect. A report issued by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine suggests that all states should adopt the .05 percent threshold. Doing so may reduce or eliminate the 10,000 alcohol-related traffic deaths in the United States each year.

The report also asserts that 28 percent of traffic deaths are caused by drivers impaired by alcohol. That translates to 29 people who die each day in crashes where alcohol played a role. To combat impaired driving, the report suggests that alcohol taxes be doubled, which could reduce crash deaths by 11 percent. Another recommendation is to limit the ability for bars, restaurants and stores to sell alcohol to customers.

How much alcohol it would take to reach a BAC of .05 percent would depend on a person’s makeup. Men who over 180 pounds would be able to consume up to three drinks before hitting that threshold. Women who are more than 120 pounds would hit that threshold after two drinks. Whether or not a person had eaten prior to consuming alcohol could also determine how quickly that individual would reach the proposed new limit.

People who have been charged with drunk driving could jail time, a fine and a license suspension, even if it is a first offense. The penalties could be harsher for succeeding offenses or if the DUI caused an accident that resulted in serious harm to others. As a result, those who are in this type of a situation might find it advisable to have a lawyer’s assistance when defending against the allegations.