Are you drunk to legally drive? What is the legal alcohol limit by states?

Were you caught drinking while you were driving? If yes, and if it exceeds BAC (Blood alcohol content) of 0.08% then you have to bear some legal penalties as it is the limit set by the federal government of the US.

It is quite obvious that the BAC – Blood Alcohol Content can affect your driving ability to some extent. To standardized the level of alcohol that can affect a human body, states have set a legal alcohol limit that can be exempted if you are driving under influence.

BAC is the measurement of the quantity of alcohol present in your blood. It is measured in the amount of alcohol in milligrams per volume (mg/ml). It is also measured for various medical and legal purposes to determine the level of intoxication in an individual.

The legal alcohol limit in California along with other 50 US states, is 0.08% for driving under the influence of a substance. In Utah, it’s 0.5%, and 0.04 for the commercial drivers. However, any presence of BAC in adults under 21 is illegal.

Impairment and BAC Levels

Once an influenced substance absorbs in the human blood, it moves throughout your body to the brain affecting cognitive functions abruptly. When this happens, a person’s physical ability to perform a task is greatly increased. In the same context, the driving ability can be impaired even before the legal alcohol limit. Similarly, when the level reaches the limit of 0.8%, the risk of collision dramatically increases.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, these three BAC levels affects the ability of driving:

• At 0.02 BAC – At this legal limit for alcohol, you may possibly feel a loss in your focus. You may also be unable to react quickly when you encounter the movement of another pedestrian, animal, or even traffic. Plus, you would probably also lose the multifunction at the same time, therefore, combining a good clutch and gear combination may be difficult.
• At 0.05 BAC – Once you reach this level, you begin with losing alertness. The focus of your retina may also fluctuate, it may also hinder your muscle controlling ability. You may completely lose your ability to react to the movements where an emergency emerges. Such as pushing the brakes quickly at a road blockage.
• At 0.08 BAC – Your muscle coordination will affect badly when your alcohol limit reaches this level. You will exhibit loss of control, slower reaction time, slurred speech, loss of proper vision, difficulty in determining danger, memory issues, and loss of self-control. When you are driving, you should expect a failure in reacting to signals, recognizing emergencies, and speed control. In short, there’s an acute risk of injuries, especially when driving.
• At 0.10 BAC – when you take alcohol intake to this level, you will experience an even high ability deterioration. Keeping yourself in one lane would be difficult for you as well as pushing the brakes immediately.
• At 0.15 BAC – A much weaker ability to control your muscle would be expected. You may also feel like vomiting. May have a problem in managing your steering and focusing on the road while driving. You may also fail to identify the activity around you and react to things that need your immediate reactions.

Legal BAC limit

Several factors are included to determine the level of blood alcohol content in your bloodstream. At an individual level and the impairment level that you are experiencing, these factors include your age, percentage of your body fat, digestion, hydration, weight, and the level of alcohol or any other influenced substance that affects the chemicals of your body.

The content present in your body is also determined by the drink that you have consumed, the time that has passed since you’ve consumed, and the intervals you took between your drinks, all may influence the BAC levels.

Additionally, if you take OTC medicines, they can also affect the level of impairment that alcohol has produced.

A 2015 research showed that when someone uses intoxication and influenced substances, they usually are bad at estimating the BAC level by themselves thus, end up colliding into damages.

The United States bears no tolerance against under 21 y/o drivers with the presence of alcohol in their bloodstreams. Any amount of intoxication can lead to the grounds of DWI and DUI charges and arrest with harsh penalties.

This has been practiced to discourage underage drugs and alcohol illegal use as the legit limit for the purchase and the possession of the illegal drugs is 21.

Public intoxication

The laws against illegal possession and drugs are not limited to driving. If you’re found visibly intoxicated in public places, chances are there that you may be penalized. Being disorderly drunk or drunk in public is called public intoxication.

However, you cannot get away saying that you have not crossed the legal alcohol limit, you can be charged for your drunk behavior. If an individual is unable to control and act reasonably, they may be charged with public intoxication.

Public intoxication laws vary state by state. Some states do not charge you for public intoxication if you drink publicly but are able to remain contained. In others, holding a wine bottle even outside the car is prohibited.

Boating limit

Depending on the state, operating a watercraft or a boat under influence is also legal, which is known as BUI. Reaching the illegal limit carries a $1,000 fine. Moreover, retaliation can cost you up to a $5,000 fine, your boating license can be suspended, and your boat can be seized.

What is the legal alcohol limit in California?

The legal alcohol limit California is; 0.08%, which means it is the level of BAC that is allowed while you’re driving.

Although, some exceptions are attached to it:

• If you drive commercially, your legal limit can be much lower than this, which is 0.04%.
• Underage drivers with even 0.01% of alcohol amount can be charged with DUI charges.
• In cases, where you fail to maintain a legal BAC in your blood, you could get a sentence enhancement.
• Drivers with previous DUI offending histories can be arrested and could face harsh penalties.

If you are arrested with DUI charges, the best way to deal with such charges is to hire a professional criminal law attorney with the right amount of experience and knowledge. Find a local criminal law attorney and proceed with your case legally.