As of now, the legal limit for blood alcohol while driving in most states is 0.08%. However, earlier this year a Michigan state representative introduced a bill that would lower the legal limit to 0.05%. If the bill were to pass, Michigan would be one of two states in the country with a legal blood alcohol limit of 0.05%. Utah lowered its legal limit to that level approximately two years ago.

It is important to note that it is possible for authorities to arrest you for DUI even when your BAC is under the current legal limit of 0.08% if they can produce evidence that you suffered some impairment as a result of the alcohol you consumed. If the new bill became law, it would change the blood alcohol level at which law enforcement presumes that you are too drunk to operate a motor vehicle.

According to MLive.com, the bill went to the state House Judiciary Committee for review after its introduction. To become law, the governor would need to sign it after it passed out of committee and gained the approval of both chambers of the state legislature, i.e., the House and the Senate.

The bill gained some attention from national advocacy groups representing different perspectives. A Washington-D.C.-based restaurant trade association stated that the bill focuses on a group of people who are not overrepresented in drunk driving accidents, i.e., “those who enjoy a drink or two over dinner.” However, safety advocates assert that lowering the threshold across the United States could reduce fatal alcohol-related crashes by 11%.

The information in this article is not intended as legal advice but provided for educational purposes only.