Utah to set nation's strictest blood alcohol limit at 0.05

UTAH (WTVD) -- Utah is getting ready to implement the nation's strictest blood alcohol content (BAC) at 0.05 percent.

The law was passed in March 2017 by Governor Gary Herbert.

It will label drivers with a "blood or breath alcohol concentration of .05 grams or greater" as a drunk driver.

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The state's new BAC will be lower than the nation's standard 0.08 percent.

Under the new law, which goes into effect on Dec. 30, a person will also be charged with "automobile homicide" if they kill another person while operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of .05 or higher, which is considered a third-degree felony, ABC News reports.

After the law goes into effect, Utah will be the first and only state to act on the National Transportation Safety Board's recommendations to lower BAC limits to 0.05.

Officials said more than 100 countries have already lowered their BAC to or below the recommended level.

According to the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, there were 10,874 people who died in 2017 from crashes involving a driver who had a BAC of .08 or higher.