How Many Drinks Can You Have Before You Need to Worry About DUI?
Posted June 30th, 2016 by Anthony Carbone, PC.
Categories: Criminal Defense.
Most drivers know that DUI offenses are serious ones. However, not all recognize how easy it is to be considered legally drunk. You can be arrested for driving under the influence if your blood alcohol content (BAC) is in excess of .08%. But, what exactly does that mean?
It’s a question that John Valero wishes he had the answers to before the cops stopped him. He and his friends hit the local bar after a baseball game. It was hot and John chugged down a few beers. He only felt a little buzzed when he left for the night.
John made sure to focus extra on the road. He straddled the center line to make sure he was driving straight. He kept within the speed limit. John admitted that it was hard to keep his eyes open. But, he managed.
Suddenly, flashing lights appeared from behind John’s car. Fear set in. John was certain that he wasn’t drunk and could not figure out why the police wanted him to pull over. The short answer was that John’s car had a broken taillight. By the end of the motor vehicle stop, John was in cuffs.
What happened? The police officer smelled alcohol on John’s breath. He asked John to voluntarily submit to a field sobriety test. John was nervous, but he complied. He wasn’t as steady as he thought. The breathalyzer documented that John was considered legally drunk. Would a little information help this from stopping to you?
The Basics of Staying Under Legal BAC Limits
We are not suggesting that you hold us to information we’re about to provide about staying under legal BAC limits. In fact, we’re asserting a disclaimer on the information we are presenting here. There’s a whole science behind the calculations. We’re just giving you some of the basics.
We actually came up with an Alcohol Consumption Calculator. We can’t attest to its accuracy, but it might be a good starting point to stick in some numbers. It calls for users to insert their sex, body weight, drink of choice and the time they consumed alcohol.
That’s the basics of calculating BAC limits. All of the items listed above combine to determine whether a person is too drunk to get behind the wheel.
Of course, there are other factors that can add to a person’s drunken state. Lack of sleep is one. Medication may contribute to increased blood alcohol readings. Of course, drinking on an empty stomach will also enhance the effects of alcohol consumption.
There are charts that solely estimate blood alcohol content based on gender, weight and number of drinks. These may present a preliminary analysis. We don’t suggest relying on them alone.
Contact Us
At the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone, we have been handling DWI/DUI cases for nearly three decades. There can be severe consequences from this type of offense. We highly suggest experienced legal advice. Contact our office to see how we can help you.
