A person is too impaired to drive safely at 0.05 percent BAC. Alcohol impacts people physically and mentally. This includes impaired judgment, reduced coordination, reduced ability to track moving objects, difficulty steering a vehicle, and reduced responsiveness to emergency driving situations. A driver with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05 percent is more than twice as likely to be involved in a crash compared to a sober driver according to research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, 2016). At 0.07, the risk is more than triple. At 0.08 (the current per se limit), the risk of a crash is nearly four times compared to a sober driver. Lowering the level from 0.08 to 0.05 reduces traffic deaths by an average of 11% annually. This occurs without increasing arrests or reducing alcohol consumption. Many countries with lower limits consume more alcohol per capita than the U.S. 810 people in Washington died in traffic crashes in 2023 – the highest number since 1990. Among them, at least 400 fatalities involved a driver impaired by alcohol or other drugs. This is more than one death per day on Washington roads. More than 60% of impaired drivers involved in a fatal crash had alcohol in their systems. 0.05 BAC supports Washington’s culture of safe, sober driving, and it reminds people that it is unsafe to drive while impaired by alcohol. Having a law based upon science encourages people to plan alternatives, such as a sober driver, taxi, rideshare, or bus. (Highway Safety Account - State)

HB 2384 requires the WTSC to gather information, conduct analysis, and write a report annually on the impacts of the Automated Safety Cameras installed under this bill. The report elements included analysis of camera placement in the context of area demographics and household incomes. Gathering and analyzing demographic data is outside the traffic safety data work done by WTSC staff. Consequently, WTSC is asking for funding to hire a contractor with these skills to do this work, $350,000 in 2025-2027 for the fist year analysis and $300,000 in 2027-2029 and ongoing since there is no end date for this requirement. (Highway Safety Account - State)

Funding is provided for wage increases for state employees who are not represented by a union or are not under a bargaining agreement that is subject to financial feasibility determination. It is sufficient for a general wage increase of 3%, effective July 1, 2025, and a general wage increase of 2%, effective July 1, 2026. This item includes both general government and higher education workers. (Highway Safety Account - Federal, Highway Safety Account - State)

Funding is provided for classified state employees who are not represented by a union or not covered by a bargaining agreement subject to financial feasibility determination, for pay increases in specific job classes in alignment with other employees. (Highway Safety Account - Federal)

This item adjusts the employer funding rate for public employee insurance benefits to reflect policy-level decision packages. It increases the rate by $8 per month in the first fiscal year and decreases the rate by $34 per month in the second fiscal year, compared to the maintenance-level update, for a total rate of $1,315 in the first year and $1,355 in the second year. (Highway Safety Account - Federal, Highway Safety Account - State)

An adjustment is made for pension contribution rates, including to fund a benefit increase of 3%, up to a maximum of $110 per month for eligible Public Employees' and Teachers' Retirement Systems Plan 1 members. (Highway Safety Account - Federal)

An adjustment is made to the base pension rates, as set out in a proposed bill addressing the calculation of the base rate for the 2025–27 biennium, as well as amortization of Plan 1 benefit increases. (Highway Safety Account - Federal, Highway Safety Account - State)

Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated cost of audits performed by the State Auditor's Office. (Highway Safety Account - State)

Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated cost of legal services provided by the Attorney General's Office. Because legal services expenditures are based on consumption, funding provided in the central service model is not all inclusive. The methodology to estimate consumption is a two-year average and allows for analysis to incorporate unique agency circumstances. (Highway Safety Account - State)

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from Washington Technology Solutions for the Office of Cybersecurity, state network, enterprise and small agency IT services, enterprise architecture and data management, Microsoft 365 licenses, and other items. (Highway Safety Account - Federal, Highway Safety Account - State)

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Department of Enterprise Services for Capitol Campus costs; real estate, risk management, and small agency services; the Perry Street and Capitol Campus child care centers; enterprise applications, and other items. (Highway Safety Account - Federal, Highway Safety Account - State)

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Office of Financial Management for existing statewide applications, the One Washington program, and other central services. See Chapter 11 of the 2025–27 OFM Budget Instructions for allocation methodologies. (Highway Safety Account - Federal, Highway Safety Account - State)