It’s
the
amount
of
alcohol that counts. For example,
if
the
same
person drank three double martinis
(3
ounces
or
90
ml of liquor
each)
within an hour, the person’s
BAC
would be close
to
0.12
percent.
A
person who
consumes food just before or during drinking will have a
slightly lower
BAC
level.
OF
DRINKS
NUMBER
(as
in
picture)
DRINKING
THAT
WILL
RESULT
IN
A
BAC
OF
.O5%
IN
THE
TIME
SHOWN
100
120
140
160
180
200
220
240
BODY WEIGHT IN POUNDS
HOURS
HOURS
HOUR
The law in most
U.S.
states sets
the
legal limit at a
BAC
of
0.10
percent.
In
Canada the limit
is
0.08
percent, and
in
some other countries it’s lower than that. The BAC
will be over 0.10 percent after three to
six
drinks (in one
hour).
Of
course,
as
we’ve seen, it depends on
how
much alcohol is in the drinks, and how quickly the
person drinks them.
But
it’s
very important
to
keep
in
mind that the ability to
drive
is
affected well below a
BAC
of
0.10 percent.
Research shows that the driving skills
of
many people
are impaired at a
BAC
approaching
0.05
percent, and
that
the
effects are worse at night. All drivers are
impaired at
BAC
levels above
0.05
percent. Statistics
show that the chance of being
in
an accident increases
sharply for drivers who have a
BAC
of
0.05
percent or
above. A driver with a
BAC
level
of
0.06
percent (three
beers
in
one hour for a 180-pound
or
82
kg person)
has
doubled his or her chance
of
having an accident. At a
BAC
level of
0.10
percent, the chance of that driver
having an accident is six times greater; at a level
of
0.15
percent, the chances are twenty-five times greater! And,
the body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink.
No
amount
of
coffee or number
of
cold
showers will speed that up.
“I’ll be careful” isn’t the right answer. What
if
there’s an
emergency, a need
to
take sudden action, as when
a
child darts into the street?
A
person with a higher
BAC
might not be able to react quickly enough to avoid
the
collision.
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