Bill > SCR181

This concurrent resolution urges the Hawaii Department of Transportation to establish a working group aimed at lowering the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit from 0.08 to 0.05 grams per 100 milliliters of blood, with the goal of improving road safety and reducing alcohol-related traffic fatalities. The proposed working group would include representatives from transportation, public defense, prosecution offices across Hawaii's counties, and would also invite participants from national safety organizations, alcohol policy groups, and the hospitality industry. The group's primary tasks would include analyzing data on alcohol-related traffic deaths, examining potential economic impacts on businesses, studying experiences from other jurisdictions that have lowered BAC limits, and developing recommendations for public awareness and potential legislative changes. The resolution highlights the significant problem of alcohol-impaired driving, noting that 37 people die daily in the United States from drunk-driving crashes and that 40% of traffic fatalities in Hawaii from 2011 to 2022 involved alcohol. The working group is requested to submit a comprehensive report with findings and recommendations to the Legislature before the 2026 Regular Session, with the ultimate aim of reducing traffic fatalities and improving road safety.

Justice, Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SCR&billnumber=181&year=2025