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.
IO
percent.
In
a
growing number
of
U.S.
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.
IO
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!
4-4
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