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SALT LAKE CITY – Utah’s new DUI limit has been in effect for 24 hours. While there has been a slight dip in DUI arrests, safety officials said it’s too soon to know if the state’s new law is behind it.
The Department of Public Safety compared December 30 of this year to the same day last year. Last year, the Utah Highway Patrol arrested ten people. This year, UHP Colonel Michael Rapich said, “We arrested eight individuals for driving while impaired during those 24 hours.”
However, the new .05 threshold didn’t seem to factor into these arrests. Everyone arrested had a blood-alcohol concentration level of .08 or higher. Also, there was only one significant crash that could be tied to someone driving while impaired.
UHP made 8 DUI arrests in the first 24 hours of the new law. Last year 10 arrests were made in the same timeframe. All arrests were ABOVE .08 BAC.
— Utah Public Safety (@UtahDPS) December 31, 2018
The DUI blitz is far from over, though. Rapich said there will be extra troopers out Monday night looking for impaired drivers, just like they have every New Year’s Eve.
“All of our troopers have been through updated training on field sobriety testing and on policy on how we administer field sobriety tests,” Rapich said, adding, “The reason for the updated training is that the statute actually required it. When they made this .05 (blood-alcohol concentration level) change, it required that law enforcement officers actually receive updated training.”
Rapich said the steps officer take before arresting someone will stay the same. They’ll look for drivers who appear to be impaired, then they’ll conduct a field sobriety test.
“A (blood-alcohol concentration) level comes post-arrest," he said. "After the arrest has been made, after admonitions have been given, then a chemical test is given."
