HB 308 to lower the BAC .04 before the House Judiciary Alaska State Legislature

​​Good afternoon, Chair and members of the Committee. My name is Tom Chapman. I have the honor of serving as the 46th Member of the National Transportation Safety Board.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of House Bill 308. This important legislation would lower the State's per se impairment threshold from .08 to .04.

Since 2013, the NTSB has recommended that states establish a per se BAC standard of .05 or lower. In 2018, Utah became the first state to do so and subsequently saw reductions in both its fatal crash and fatality rates relative to the rest of the United States. Passage of House Bill 308 in Alaska would make it the second state to embrace a change that will save lives and cut the number of senseless and completely avoidable crashes.

​In 2023, there were a staggering 12,429 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in the US. That represents 30% of all traffic fatalities in 2023.

In Alaska, 25% of all traffic deaths were caused by alcohol-impaired driving crashes in 2023.

Various countermeasures to combat alcohol-impaired driving have been tried over the years, and some have made a significant difference. Still, the number of crashes and deaths remains stubbornly high.

More needs to be done. And research suggests that lowering the legal BAC standard will reduce fatal alcohol-related crashes by an estimated 11 percent. More than 100 countries have some type of .05 or lower BAC law. The benefits of lower BAC standards are well documented.

Because we know it works, we at the NTSB strongly support legislation that will establish a legal BAC per se standard of .05 or lower. Addressing impaired driving on America's roads requires bold leadership. We applaud the bill sponsors and all of you as lawmakers for considering this key step.

That concludes my statement on behalf of the National Transportation Safety Board. I am happy to take your questions.​