facebook-pixel

‘Trib Talk’: Navigating Utah’s new 0.05 DUI law

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Kelley Jensen, checks out a vehicle, during the Highway Patrol DUI Blitz. Jensen and 57 other officers hit the road to enforce Utah's new DUI law, Monday, Dec. 31, 2018.

On Sunday, Utah became the first state in the nation to lower its drunk-driving limit to a blood alcohol content level of 0.05 percent or higher.

The change, endorsed by the National Transportation Safety Board, is intended to discourage drunk driving at any level of intoxication. But critics argue the strict law targets responsible drinkers while doing little to prevent DUI fatalities, most of which are the result of drivers who are well in excess of the previous 0.08 limit.

On this week’s “Trib Talk," Tribune reporter Kathy Stephenson and Salt Lake City defense attorney Jason Schatz join Benjamin Wood to discuss Utah’s new DUI law and the rights of Utahns suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol.

“Trib Talk” is produced by Sara Weber with additional editing by Dan Harrie. Comments and feedback can be sent to tribtalk@sltrib.com, or to @bjaminwood or @tribtalk on Twitter.

Click here to listen now. Listeners can also subscribe to “Trib Talk” on SoundCloud, iTunes and Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify and other major podcast platforms.

Support free news for Utah

sltrib.com is now free to access — no subscription required. We made this decision because we believe access to trustworthy, independent news shouldn’t depend on what you can afford — especially as misinformation and AI-generated content continue to rise.

Free to read doesn’t mean free to produce. Our reporters show up every day to ask hard questions and hold powerful institutions to account. That work takes resources. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on support from people who believe it matters. Make a donation today to fund local news that serves Utah communities.

You can help us bring more local news to more communities today.