Conn. Lawmakers Could Lower Legal Blood-Alcohol Content to 0.05

HARTFORD, CT — After 329 deaths last year in traffic crashes and 14 more fatalities in the first few weeks of 2025, state Sen. Christine Cohen thinks that this General Assembly could finally lower the drunken driving blood-alcohol threshold down to .05 from the current .08.

It's part of a package of strategies across various state agencies being developed for debate in the General Assembly that are aimed at saving lives, protecting state police and DOT workers, reducing speeding and holding reckless drivers accountable.

Another tactic being discussed by state leaders would be the temporary, possibly multi-day impoundment of vehicles caught operating in excess of 100 mph.

"Obviously what we've seen over the last couple of years has made us hyper-focused on road safety," said Cohen, D- Guilford, co-chairwoman of the legislative Transportation Committee, who has watched lawmakers reject the .05 percent drunken driving proposal in recent years. "Safety issues are very bipartisan." While only Utah has adopted the lower standard, 100 countries, including 25 of the 27 members of the European Union have it, according to legislative research.

Cohen said that efforts made in recent years to discourage wrong-way crashes seem to be working and towns are exploring the new laws allowing them to install so-called red light cameras at busy intersections. And during the upcoming DOT construction season, work zone cameras, which caught hundreds of speeders last year, will be back permanently.

"Hopefully these will save some lives," she said in an interview outlining some of the initiatives being prepared for when the Transportation Committee begins its business on Wednesday.

Another strategy would be to force reckless drivers to install speed-governing equipment in their vehicles.

"Our highways are out of control," Attorney General William Tong said on Friday. "I drive every day from Stamford to Hartford and it is as bad as it has ever been. I do think we need stronger consequences for reckless drivers who put all of our lives at-risk."

This will be the third year in a row that the state Department of Transportation asks for the lower drunken-driving standard. Josh Morgan, communications director for the DOT, said Friday it's a sensible policy to tackle a tough problem.

Morgan said that DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto plans to ask the General Assembly to increase penalties for drivers who injure workers on state road sites from the current $2,500 to $10,000; and double the current $10,000 fine for motorists who kill workers. Those caught speeding through work zones or failing to move over for police and emergency vehicles would be required to take safety courses in addition to fines.

The DOT will also ask the General Assembly to name a bridge in Southington in memory of Trooper Aaron Pelletier, who was killed by an alleged hit-and-run driver last May. Suspect Alex Oyola-Sanchez is in custody on a variety of charges including manslaughter with a motor vehicle and operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs, with a pretrial date set for February 25. The DOT also wants to name a section of Interstate-91 in Wallingford in the memory of Andrew DiDomenico, a young road worker who was killed last June by alleged drunken driver Denise Lucibello of East Haven who also remains in custody pending her next court appearance scheduled for June 28, charged with manslaughter and operating under the influence.

Part of the DOT's legislative package would include mandatory motorcycle helmets for new licensees.

The DOT is also expected to ask lawmakers to create tougher penalties for drivers who use handheld phones, by adding it to the criteria for reckless driving charges. "The question is how do we change driver behavior," Morgan said, adding that in the age of legal cannabis, police trained in drug recognition are also studying the possible use of voluntary blood samples.

"There is a growing concern about poly-drug use," Cohen said. "I think we're going to take a deeper look at that. There hadn't been in the past a real effective way of monitoring cannabis use. People should not be using cannabis in any form and getting behind the wheel of a vehicle."

Ronnell A. Higgins, who as commissioner of the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection leads the State Police, said Friday that he strongly endorses lowering the blood alcohol threshold from .08 to .05. Last year's fatal car crashes fell short of the 2022 record of 366 deaths, Connecticut's high for the 21st Century. In 2002, Connecticut's blood alcohol percentage for drunken driving was lowered from .10 to .08.

"As an agency, we are dedicated to ensuring the safety of our roadways by making data-driven decisions and leveraging existing resources and innovative technology," Higgins said in a statement. "We remain focused on addressing the root causes of reckless driving and contemporary issues like street takeovers organized via social media as we take a holistic approach to highway safety. Giving state troopers more tools to reduce reckless driving is critical. We eagerly anticipate the opportunity to collaborate with legislators and sister agencies to craft a comprehensive solution to enhance road safety and help us achieve our shared goals."

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