Utah Reports Fewer Crashes Under 0.05 BAC Limit

The state's 2018 move to lower the legal blood alcohol limit from 0.08 percent correlates with fewer alcohol-related road injuries.

Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Substance Abuse

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a winding mountain highway, representing the impact of Utah's blood alcohol policy on traffic safety. — Utah’s 0.05 percent blood alcohol limit, the strictest in the U.S., correlates with a decrease in alcohol-involved collisions since 2018. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Utah remains the only U.S. state with a 0.05 percent legal blood alcohol concentration limit after adopting the stricter threshold in 2018. Research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows this change preceded a decline in alcohol-involved collisions.

Why it matters

The National Transportation Safety Board advocates for this lower threshold, citing significant impairments to reaction time and depth perception that occur even at the 0.05 percent level. This data provides a rare long-term view of how state-level policy impacts road safety.

Alcohol-related crashes in Utah fell nearly 9 percent over the four years following the 2018 implementation of the 0.05 percent limit, with injury-specific crashes dropping 12 percent. These figures are measured against comparison data from neighboring states.

The players

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

This independent, nonprofit scientific and educational organization is dedicated to reducing deaths, injuries, and property damage from motor vehicle crashes.

National Transportation Safety Board

This independent U.S. government investigative agency is responsible for civil transportation accident investigation and safety recommendations.

The details

Researchers evaluated four years of post-implementation data by comparing Utah's crash rates with those in Arizona, Colorado, and Idaho. While the policy shows a positive trend, the study noted a 46 percent spike in alcohol-involved crashes between March and May 2020, along with a 6 percent average monthly increase in alcohol-related crash shares during the 34-month pandemic period.

2005: Universal 0.08 percent blood alcohol limit established.
2013: NTSB recommended lowering limits to 0.05 percent.
2018: Utah implemented 0.05 percent limit.
March-May 2020: Alcohol-involved crashes rose 46 percent.

Health Landscape

Utah's enactment of the 0.05 percent limit follows a pattern set by the National Transportation Safety Board's 2013 recommendation to lower blood alcohol concentration limits. This represents a distinct departure from the 0.08 percent standard established by federal funding ties in 2005.

Drivers in Utah must adhere to the 0.05 percent threshold, which is lower than the 0.08 percent limit enforced in all other states. This regulation impacts social habits and personal safety, as the lower limit triggers legal consequences at a lower level of consumption.

The takeaway

The study suggests that lowering BAC limits can effectively reduce road injuries when combined with consistent enforcement. Readers should remain aware that even small amounts of alcohol can impair driving performance regardless of local legal thresholds.