Over 40% of traffic fatalities in Hawai‘i involve alcohol. That’s what the data for the period 2016-2020 tells us. Advocates from the Hawai‘i Alcohol Policy Alliance are hopeful that new public opinion polling results will motivate lawmakers to act.
The survey, completed by SMS Research last month, revealed that over 60% of Hawai‘i voters statewide want to see Hawai‘i lower the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit to drive from the current 0.08 to 0.05.
Hawai‘i has the sixth-highest alcohol-impaired traffic fatality rate in the nation. “That’s not something to be proud of. That’s a serious problem and we need a solution. We need a more effective alcohol policy. We are asking for a lower BAC in this session because we know that it works. The public deserves to see its elected public servants act with urgency to reduce these preventable deaths,” said Camlyn Pola, Vice Chair of the East Hawai’i Drug-Free Coalition and a survivor of a crash caused by an impaired driver that cost lives.
Advocates say alcohol impairment-related traffic deaths are preventable, and lowering the BAC limit will address the rising number of deaths and serious injuries on Hawai‘i roads. In 2022, traffic-related fatalities in Hawai‘i reached 117, exceeding the totals from the prior three years.
“The 0.05 BAC law is popular with Hawai‘i voters, backed by strong research evidence, and endorsed by the world’s largest brewer,” says Rick Collins, Director of the Hawai‘i Alcohol Policy Alliance. “Safe roadways are in everyone’s interest. They’re in the interest of residents who live here, to our tourists who visit, and to our children and families. We can do better to protect us all,” Collins continued.
Utah, the only state thus far to reduce its BAC level to 0.05, saw a 20% drop in fatalities during the two and a half years after its passage, while the rest of the country only averaged a 5% drop.
Alcohol affects judgment, coordination, and ability to see and think clearly, all skills needed to drive a motor vehicle safely. The amount of alcohol required to become impaired differs according to a number of factors that include gender, weight, and the amount of time in between drinks.
A 0.05 BAC is not typically reached with a couple of beers after work or a glass of wine with dinner. It takes at least four drinks for the average 170-pound male to exceed 0.05 BAC in two hours on an empty stomach.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Board, the nation’s agency tasked with transit safety, has set 0.05 BAC as the reasonable limit for impairment and recommends every US state adopt this new standard.
Two Senate bills and two House bills have been introduced in this session to lower BAC to 0.05: SB365, SB160, HB1469, and HB1281. Advocates believe these bills set a reasonable standard that will save countless lives.
“Memorial events are a poor substitute for those whose lives have been taken prematurely because of fatal crashes caused by alcohol impairment. We have seen the senseless death of too many young people like Hannah Brown, whose untimely death four years ago we remembered recently on Maui. Voters want action now,“ said Andrea Maniago, MADD’s volunteer victim advocate on Maui.