MENU
SEARCHA new report finds that Utah is the only state that has lowered its blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit to 0.05 to comply with one of the key recommendations made by the National Transportation Safety Board nearly a decade ago.
Some 11,654 people died in drink-driving collisions in 2020 alone. Are states taking the right actions to curb the crisis?
Photo: Canva
Only 14 states and the District of Columbia have taken the necessary steps to require alcohol ignition interlocks — a key action recommended by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in 2013.
That finding is among several in a new report from the NTSB, which is a comprehensive review of states’ actions connected to curbing drunk driving over the past decade. The findings are troubling.
Regarding the NTSB’s push for states to require ignition interlocks, while 14 achieved the goal, another 12 states have made progress but have not fully completed the task. Even worse, eight states — California, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Dakota, Ohio, Rhode Island, and South Dakota — as well as Puerto Rico, have made no progress at all.
On the upside, in 2013 there was no need for the NTSB to make the recommendation to 17 states because those states had already addressed the issue.
In its original report, the NTSB also recommended that states lower the per se blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit to 0.05 or lower for all drivers. Noteworthy, over 100 countries have already established per se BAC limits at or below 0.05.
However, in the new report, NTSB reveals that Utah is the only state that has lowered its BAC limit to comply with the NTSB recommendation. Evidence indicates that the strategy is saving lives in the Beehive State. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration did a study that found traffic deaths in Utah decreased after the state enacted a law to lower its impaired driving legal limit to .05 in 2018. Utah’s fatal crash and fatality rates decreased 19.8% and 18.3%, respectively — a significant improvement over the rest of the country.
But other states are failing to take action to follow the NTSB recommendation. Eight states introduced legislation to lower the BAC limit to 0.05, but the bills floundered and were never enacted. More disheartening, 43 states, the District of Columba, and Puerto Rico have not made any attempt to address the recommendation.
In 2020, some 11,654 people lost their lives in drunk-driving crashes — that’s one person every 45 minutes.
Fleet drivers face constant visual, cognitive, and environmental interruptions the moment they hit the road. From roadside chaos to mental fatigue and digital overload, today’s biggest driving risks often come from outside the vehicle itself.
Read More →
FLASH Weather AI has launched a first-of-its-kind hail prediction model capable of forecasting hail size and arrival time at 1-kilometer resolution up to 55 minutes ahead, giving fleets and insurers critical time to prepare for severe storms.
Read More →
As litigation risk rises, vehicles are increasingly targeted. This Coca-Cola bottler shares how it’s reducing exposure through driver training, technology, and a proactive risk management approach.
Read More →
Drivers, supervisors, and data often speak different safety “languages.” Getting on the same page will drive better results.
Read More →
From identity management to third-party certifications, the right technology partner should make security easier to manage. Here are the three building blocks that fleet managers need to stay in control as connected systems scale.
Read More →
Distracted driving remains one of the most persistent risks in fleet operations. New approaches focus on removing mobile device use entirely while adding real-time safety support.
Read More →
As distraction risks evolve, fleets are turning to smarter, more connected technologies to better understand what’s happening behind the wheel. Part 2 explores how these tools are helping identify risky behaviors and improve visibility across operations.
Read More →
What fleets capture to improve safety can also expose them in litigation, forcing leaders to rethink how data is managed, stored, and shared.
Read More →
Distracted driving is often measured by what we can see—phones in hand, eyes off the road. But what about the distractions we can’t? A recent incident raises a bigger question about awareness, attention, and why subtle risks so often go unnoticed.
Read More →
While serious crashes are declining, a rise in minor incidents and ongoing risk hotspots underscore the need for continued fleet safety investment.
Read More →
