The Utah Highway Patrol and other law enforcement organizations will be out on state roads in full force this New Year’s.
UHP Sgt. Mike Alexander recommends that revelers stay safe by making a plan, and sticking to it.
“If you're choosing to partake in one of these substances that does impair your ability to drive, have a plan in place to get to your destination safely,” he told KPCW. “Either participate in those activities at home or arrange for a designated driver.”
Another strategy is using ride share services and apps. And the Utah Department of Public Safety, Division of Alcoholic Beverage Services and WCF Insurance are offering $10 Lyft gift cards through New Year’s Day. Click here to for information on how to get one.
It’s a harm-reduction strategy to get drunk or otherwise impaired drivers off the roads.
Utah’s blood alcohol concentration limit is 0.05%, the lowest in the U.S.; in other states it's 0.08%. But drivers can be “under the influence” and face a DUI charge from more than just booze.
Alexander said drugs, including marijuana, can result in DUIs too.
“The one that maybe people forget is if you're utilizing prescription medications — even if you're using them properly — and you're driving, you can still be under the influence of those properly prescribed medications,” Alexander said.
He added that it’s a violation that the state takes seriously, and it will become more serious come Jan. 1.
A new state law is taking effect that will require everyone to show identification when they buy alcohol in Utah.
Anyone convicted of an “extreme DUI,” meaning a BAC 0.16% or higher or under the influence of alcohol plus other drugs, will now get a physical note on their Utah driver’s license.
The note will instruct the bar or liquor store not to give the license-holder access to alcohol. DABS says scanners may or may not catch the “NO ALCOHOL SALE” note on the license, so it is asking establishments to physically inspect IDs.
UHP says the average BAC for alcohol-related DUI arrests in Utah is 0.14% and that alcohol-related crashes are 15 times more likely to be fatal than other types of crashes in Utah.
