Traffic deaths decreased in Utah after the state enacted the strictest drunken driving laws in the nation five years ago, new research published Friday by a U.S. government agency shows.
The findings provide initial validation for conservative lawmakers who passed the law over concerns from restaurant and tourism industry lobbyists.
In a study published Friday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, researchers write that, in the years after Utah changed the drunken driving threshold from .08% to .05% blood-alcohol content, the number of crashes and fatalities fell even though drivers logged more miles.
