Troopers Make 8 Arrests In 24 Hours After Utah’s New DUI Law
Dec 31, 2018, 12:32 PM | Updated: 2:04 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The sate’s new .05 DUI law has been in effect for more than 24 hours now — just in time for ringing in the New Year.
Officials with the Utah Highway Patrol on Monday said they haven’t seen a big difference since the law changed. However, troopers made eight arrests in the law’s first 24 hours — all of which had blood alcohol levels above the old .08 limit.
UHP made 8 DUI arrests in the first 24 hours of the new law. Last year 10 arrests were made in the same timeframe. All arrests were ABOVE .08 BAC.
— Utah Public Safety (@UtahDPS) December 31, 2018
Nonetheless, UHP will be out in full force this New Year’s Eve with beefed-up enforcement.
Col. Michael Rapich said they aren’t trying to discourage anyone from having a good time, but they want folks to be smart about it. He urged revelers to have a designated driver, take a cab, use a ride share service, or stay home.
“The best practice (is) if you’re going to drink, don’t drive,” Rapich said. “Absolutely, have a glass of wine with dinner. Just have a different way to get home.”
UHP said on average there are about 30 crashes a year involving an impaired driver, and 10 percent of those involve people below the .08 BAC level.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the .05 limit amounts to roughly three alcoholic drinks. That number can vary with a number of factors from weight, food consumption, metabolism, and other fluids.
The overall message from all law enforcement is if you’re going to drink alcohol, don’t get behind the wheel.
