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Utah to implement lowest DUI limit in US this weekend

Maude Romney, 29, right, drinks at the Beer Hive Pub, in Salt Lake City on Dec. 20, 2018. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Rob Wheatley, 50, drinks a beer, at the Beer Hive Pub, in Salt Lake City on Dec. 20, 2018. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
A Woods Cross police vehicle sitting in their parking lot in Woods Cross, Utah on March 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
Ed Staley, left, and Tali Bruce, right, attend a rally concerning the DUI threshold at the Utah state Capitol in Salt Lake City on March 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
Republican State Rep. Norm Thurston standing for the National Anthem during the opening of the 2018 Utah Legislature in Salt Lake City on Jan. 22, 2018. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
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December 28, 2018 - 8:18 am
 

SALT LAKE CITY — The United States’ lowest DUI threshold takes effect this weekend in Utah.

Lawmakers in the state approved the 0.05 percent blood-alcohol limit in 2017, and Gov. Gary Herbert signed it into law. The change goes into effect Saturday.

Utah’s old limit was 0.08 percent, the threshold in most states.

The National Transportation Safety Board supports the new limit, saying it would save many lives if adopted nationwide.

But critics worry it will punish responsible drinkers, hurt Utah’s tourism industry and amplify the state’s alcohol-unfriendly reputation.

The lower limit takes effect as Utah basks in the news that the U.S. Olympic Committee chose Salt Lake City over Denver as a future bid city, most likely for the 2030 Winter Olympics. State tourism officials say they’re not concerned about the law driving away visitors.

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