The bill to lower the legal blood alcohol content limit died in the House, even in spite of The Stranger's flawed-science experiment last summer. by Nathalie Graham Congrats  you lushes, winos, drunkards, sots, and tipplers. A bill to lower the legal driving limit from a 0.08 percent blood alcohol limit to a 0.05 blood alcohol limit (BAC) has failed for the fourth year in a row. Despite passing the Senate, it floundered in the House Committee on Community Safety.  It’s not such a wild idea, even if the only US state with a 0.05 percent BAC limit is buttoned-up, prudish Utah. From a global point of view, we’re way outside the norm—eighty four of the world’s countries have a 0.05 BAC limit or lower. The unholy union of Big Alcohol and Big Automobile in the US of A has kept reform efforts in check across the country, driving something we like to call vehicular manslaughter. In 2023, Washington saw 800 driving deaths—a 30-year high. Over half of those deaths were linked to impaired driving.  Sure, we at The Stranger are known to partake in potent potables. We can put ’em away just like the rest of you. Yet, after a bit of science last summer, we were radicalized. The bill’s prime sponsor, Sen. John Lovick, a former state trooper who’s been advocating for years to lower the BAC, is right. In an experiment, we combined alcohol and Mario Kart to see how drinking impaired our driving without tearing up these streets. Most of us came away shocked at just how drunk we felt with a BAC at 0.05, let alone 0.08 percent. We were also shocked at how bad we were at Mario Kart. Except Vivian, who got drunker than anyone. Oh, how the mighty fall. The experiment had flaws, like how it wasn't real science. Or how Charles Mudede, who does not have a license and has never driven, could not comprehend how to use a Nintendo 64 controller. His BAC also mysteriously dipped down toward the end of the test. Regardless, it was enough to assure us that a 0.05 percent BAC was plenty drunk. There’s always next year, Sen. Lovick! ...read more read less