Should the blood alcohol level for driving in your state be lowered? Here’s what happens if you exceed yours

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – If you consume too much alcohol and get behind the wheel of a car, this can result in drunk driving charges, but how much alcohol will put you behind bars?

Connecticut lawmakers are advancing a proposal to lower the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) legal limit from .08 to .05, which is an effort that was attempted last year but was abandoned.

Enfield Police Sgt. Matthew Miers told 22News that the effects vary for everyone, “Coordination and judgment still can be impaired even at the .05 level. Things like your body size, how much you ate previously to that… even things like sex. Male and female all do play a role in how your body metabolizes alcohol and the effects it can have on your body.”

According to WTNH , a recent analysis showed that out of 1,983 deadly crashes in Connecticut, 40% included a driver who was over the legal limit, but why is your blood-alcohol level important?

Why is your blood-alcohol level important?

Blood alcohol content, also called blood alcohol concentration or blood alcohol level, is a measurement of alcohol intoxication that is used for legal or medical purposes. According to Forbes Advisor , if your blood alcohol content rises above your state’s limit, this is considered to be DUI per se , which is a legal term that means you are presumed to be too intoxicated to drive.

Blood Alcohol Level Chart

When you drink alcohol, your BAC rises, but many factors affect this, including your gender and your body weight. You can use the blood alcohol level chart to assess intoxication and stop consuming drinks before you exceed it, but since this is an estimation, it is best to not drink and drive at all.

This chart represents one volume ounce of 100-proof alcohol, one 12-ounce bottle of beer, and five ounces of table wine. Your body metabolizes alcohol over time, so your BAC levels will begin to drop once you have stopped drinking. If time has passed and you need to drive, you can subtract a set amount from your BAC. Forbes provides how much you can subtract:

• 1 hour from last drink: 0.015%
• 2 hours from last drink: 0.030%
• 3 hours from last drink: 0.045%
• 4 hours from last drink 0.060%
• 5 hours from last drink 0.075%
• 6 hours from last drink 0.090%

What is the blood-alcohol level in your state?

Throughout the United States, the legal limit is .08%, so if your BAC is above this, you are presumed intoxicated in every state but other states have other limits. The only state that is not .08% is Utah, which has a .05% blood-alcohol level.

Most states have a “zero tolerance” level that applies to certain drivers, which sets the legal limit lower for specific people. Typically, this applies to teenagers who are not supposed to be consuming alcohol, and sometimes to commercial drivers like bus and truck drivers.

Some states also impose enhanced penalties once your BAC goes over a certain level. These penalties could include:

• Larger fines
• A longer license suspension or revocation
• A longer period in which an ignition interlock device is required in a vehicle (this device tests your BAC before allowing you to drive)
• Mandatory minimum incarceration or a longer period of incarceration

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