BAC: Are You Too Drunk to Drive?
What’s your favorite way to celebrate getting through the week? Friday is arguably the most exciting day of the week. Everyone is enthused and refreshed with the sense of freedom that comes with the weekend. Come Friday evening; we’re ready to celebrate with friends, food, and drinks.
After one drink, most of us are not too impaired to drive. For this reason, there is a legal limit that determines whether you can drive or not. This limit varies depending on which country and state that you live in. Here in America, in most states, the legal limit is 0.08% BAC, or blood alcohol content. BAC is the percentage of alcohol in your bloodstream. Many factors play into how high your BAC is. Your height, weight, gender, and how much you’ve eaten all play a role in determining your BAC. Your BAC can be measured by either a breathalyzer, a urine sample, or a blood test.
There are quite a few BAC calculators on the Internet that ask you a series of questions before determining an estimate of your BAC. The formula for this is to divide the mass of ethanol in your body by 100 mL of blood. This number is then converted into a percentage. Although, if you are questioning your ability to drive, you’re too impaired to drive.
An article on thenewswheel.com gives information about the early laws regarding drunk driving. The first law regarding drunk driving was created in the early 1900s. In 1906, New Jersey created a law that stated that “no intoxicated driver should drive a motor vehicle.” If you were caught operating a vehicle while intoxicated, you were subject to fines up to $500 and 30 days in jail.
A similar law followed in New York in 1910. The law was amended in 1941 which made the legal alcohol content .15%. Could you even imagine? This law made it legal to drive at nearly DOUBLE the current legal limit.
Groups like MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) helped encourage the move to make stricter laws during the 1970s-1990s. Luckily, we’re at a much more reasonable legal limit to this day, allowing for a fun and safe evening out with friends.
When you grab a drink at dinner, it’s important to know your body and know your limits. Are you a “one drink wonder”, or is even one too much for you?
Always bring a designated driver when you go out. That way, you won’t have to worry about whether it’s safe for you to drive or not.
Driving drunk could mess your life up for years following the incident. A DUI can cost up to $10-20,000 after lawyer fees, insurance increases, class fees, etc. Please, for the love of all things, do not drive drunk.
Remember, driving intoxicated is not just about alcohol–with marijuana being legalized, you could end up with a DUI while driving high. Read more about this here.
