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
somewhat lower BAC level.
There
is
a gender difference, too. Women generally have
a lower relative percentage
of
body water than men.
Since alcohol is carried in body water, this means that a
woman generally will reach a higher
BAC
level than a
man of her same body weight when each has the same
number of drinks.
The law in many U.S. states sets the legal limit at
a
BAC
of
0.10
percent.
In
a
growing number of
US.
states, and
throughout Canada, the limit is
0.08
percent. In some
other countries it’s even lower. The BAC limit for all
commercial drivers in the United States is
0.04
percent.
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 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 a collision
increases sharply for drivers who have a BAC
of
0.05
percent or above. A driver with a BAC level of
0.06
percent has doubled his or her chance of having
a
collision. At a BAC level
of
0.10
percent, the chance of
this driver having a collision
is
12
times greater; at a
level of
0.15
percent, the chance is
25
times greater!
4-3
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