Last week our state Senate lawmakers voted to pass legislation to lower Washington’s ‘per se’ law for DUI’s to .05%. Senate Bill 5067 decreases BAC limits from .08% to .05%. The bill also proposes that the Traffic Safety Commission be required to roll out and implement a public information compaign to educate the public about this new law. There is only one other state in the union that has a .05% limit – Utah. The hope, by passing this bill, is to change the culture of drinking and driving and to instill greater community safety measures for the State of Washington. Some argue that this bill is pointless and that the focus should be on being more aggressive on the current state of DUI’s – more arrests and more convictions; tough on crime. The support for this position claims that lowering the legal limit is not going to be effective because most DUI’s are far above the current legal limit of .08%. Their question is simple: how does lowering the legal limit to .05% curb that truth? Now that the Senate has passed SB 5067, it next goes to the House for consideration. If passed by the House, the law would go into effect on July 1, 2026.
If you or a loved one is in a bind as a result of a DUI/ Physical Control allegation, immediately contact a Seattle DUI Attorney. A Seattle DUI Defense Attorney is not going to judge you and understands that everyone makes mistakes. Hiring a Seattle DUI Lawyer to help can – at a minimum – reduce penalties and can help direct people on how to best deal with their DUI charge, and some times even get them dismissed. So, it should go without saying that someone cited for a DUI should hire a qualified Seattle DUI Lawyer as soon as possible. DUI charges can cause havoc on a person’s personal and professional life. Anyone charged with a DUI in Washington State should immediately seek the assistance of a seasoned Seattle DUI Lawyer. SQ Attorneys can be reached at (425) 359-3791 and/or (206) 441-0900.
