IT’S TIME TO SAVE LIVES

What is a BAC?

Blood alcohol concentration, also referred to as BAC, refers to the percent of alcohol in a person’s blood stream.  A BAC of 0.10% means that a person’s blood supply contains one part ethyl alcohol for every 1000 parts of blood.  In Hawai‘i, drivers over 21 test as legally impaired to drive a vehicle at 0.08% BAC.

Why Lower the BAC Limit for Driving from 0.08 to 0.05?

Lowering the BAC from 0.08 to 0.05 serves as a general deterrent to impaired driving and affects all would-be drinking drivers. Research is clear that lowering the BAC limit from 0.08 to 0.05 serves as a deterrent to ALL those who drink and drive that the government is getting tougher on impaired driving and society will not tolerate impaired drivers. Such legislation reduces the number of drinking drivers involved in fatal crashes at all BAC levels.

Virtually all drivers are impaired with regard to driving performance at 0.05 BAC. Laboratory and test track research shows that the vast majority of drivers, even experienced drinkers who typically reach BACs of 0.15 or greater, are impaired at 0.05 BAC and higher with regard to critical driving tasks.

The risk of being involved in a crash increases significantly at 0.05 BAC. The risk of being involved in a crash increases at each positive BAC level but rises very rapidly after a driver reaches or exceeds 0.05 BAC compared to drivers with no alcohol in their blood systems. Studies indicate that the relative risk of being killed in a single vehicle crash for drivers with BACs of 0.05 to 0.079 is at least 7 times that of drivers at .00 BAC.

The fatality rate of alcohol-related crashes in Hawai‘i has increased since 2021; it remained almost unchanged from 2023 to 2024. Between 2016 and 2020, forty percent (40%) of all traffic fatalities in Hawai‘i involved alcohol. Reducing the per se limit for impaired driving to 0.05 BAC is a proven, effective strategy to reduce traffic fatalities and will have the same effect in Hawai‘i.

Hawai‘i voters support lowering the BAC to 0.05. A recent statewide poll of Hawai‘i voters showed the majority (62%) of the state’s voters support lowering the BAC from 0.08 to 0.05

A 0.05 BAC limit will significantly reduce the number of non-fatal crashes and related consequences. Many alcohol-related traffic incidents don’t result in fatalities, but create numerous other significant consequences and harms. Non-fatal injuries occur not only to drivers and passengers, but also to pedestrians, cyclists, and other sharing the roadways. Non-fatal injuries can require significant medical treatment and hospitalization, temporary and permanent disabilities, loss of work and income to individuals and families, and trauma and mental health problems for the crash victims and their families.