SALT LAKE CITY — Bar patrons weighing whether they’re sober enough to take the wheel could soon have a tool to help make that decision.

Breathalyzers and similar devices could pop up in more bars across Utah under a coming proposal from Republican Rep. Greg Hughes of Draper. The measure is still incubating, but it aims to cut down on drunken driving in Utah.

“It makes good sense,” he said Friday.

Setting up the machines alongside pool tables and juke boxes would especially help younger drinkers who are still learning their limits, Hughes said.

Hughes previously said he was considering whether to require devices in each bar, or just those with infractions, such as serving underage drinkers. He also is considering whether to make it an incentive rather than a mandate. But the forthcoming proposal won’t hold bars responsible for customers who fail a breath test but decide to drive anyway, he said Friday.

Some bar owners hesitate to back the measure, questioning how well the devices read the level of alcohol circling the bloodstream.

Advertisement

To date, night spots that have such meters generally affix them to walls, and patrons often wander over for a laugh. The readings cost about $2, which can usually be paid by credit card.

Hughes said his plan would make using the devices optional for drinkers, and police would not gain access to the data.

Bob McCarthy owns the Garage on Beck, a Salt Lake City bar on a stretch of highway lined with chain fences and smoke stacks. McCarthy on Friday morning questioned the accuracy of the machines. If customers were to register a lower level of alcohol than they expected, he worries, it could embolden them to drive when they normally wouldn’t.

“Somebody could feel they shouldn’t be driving but the number says 0.08, which is right on the border, so maybe they’ll go and they shouldn’t go,” he said.

He advises customers, “just know how much you’ve had to drink and whether you’re OK to drive.”

Data available show that in 2010, drunken driving accounted for 40 percent of all deaths on highways nationwide.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.