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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 an increasing number
of U.S. states, and
throughout Canada, sets the legal limit at
0.08
percent.
In some other countries, the limit is even lower. For
example, it is
0.05
percent in both France and Germany.
The BAC limit for all commercial drivers in the United
States
is
0.04
percent.
The BAC will be over
0.10
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!
The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink.
No
amount
of
coffee or number
of
cold
showers will speed that up.
“1’11
be careful” isn’t the right
answer. What
if
there’s an emergency, a need to
take sudden action, as when a child darts into the
street? A person with even a moderate BAC might not
be able to react quickly enough to avoid the collision.
4-4
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