This is concerning that HB64 bill that died in the House Transportation Committee. My representative, Justin Fawson, R-North Ogden, a vociferous proponent of lowering the BAC from 0.08 to 0.05, cited the need to enhance public safety.
Interestingly, he stated his opposition to HB64 this way: “It’s a difficult balance to strike between public safety and personal rights and liberties.”
Studies clearly show a near-equivalent impact on public safety regarding drunk driving and operating a cellphone while driving. I find no constitutional protections concerning driving inebriated and driving distracted.
So, why is one a public safety issue and the other a question of “personal rights and liberties”? Please tell us, Rep. Fawson, is your concern for public safety real, or just politics?
Charles J. Palmer, Ogden