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The proposal
lowers the predominantly Mormon state's blood-alcohol limit from
0.08, currently the standard across all U.S. states, to 0.05 as
of Dec. 31, 2018, to try to improve road safety in the state.
"I signed (the bill) into law to help strengthen Utah's impaired
driving laws and to reduce the number of alcohol-related deaths
on our roads," Herbert said in a statement Thursday.
Melva Sine, president of the Utah Restaurant Association, said
her organization and other industry groups opposed the measure
and see it as likely to hurt the hospitality industry in the
state.
"It will be punishing those people who drink responsibly, and go
out and enjoy an evening," Sine said.
The American Beverage Institute, a lobbying group, which had
previously taken out ads advocating against the measure in
newspapers in the state, earlier condemned Herbert's plan to
sign the bill.
Herbert also said he would call a special legislative session to
address the "unintended and collateral consequences" of the law,
and to help "modify and improve it."
The National Transportation Safety Board has advocated for a
national 0.05 limit, and its representatives testified twice in
support of the Utah bill before the legislature, according to
the Salt Lake Tribune. The board said studies show that
impairment starts after one drink, even at blood-alcohol levels
as low as 0.04, the limit for commercial truck drivers
nationwide.
(Reporting by Tom James in Seattle; Editing by Sandra Maler)
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