Other names: alcohol test, ethanol test, ethyl alcohol, blood alcohol level Driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or higher is automatically illegal. Even if the driver is safe and has no faculties, Colorado prosecutors can inherently bring drunk driving charges against any motorist for a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a total of 38,252 fatal traffic accidents and 42,643 fatalities were recorded in the United States in 2003. 17,013 people died in alcohol-related accidents, an average of nearly every half hour. This is a decrease of three per cent from 2002, when 17,524 people were killed in alcohol-related road accidents, representing 41 per cent of the 43,005 people killed in all road accidents. If you are convicted of impaired driving for alcohol and/or drugs or both, and you have an inflated blood alcohol level, you can be sentenced to a maximum of 6 months in jail and pay a fine of $390 to $1,000 if you are convicted for the first time. Your vehicle may be confiscated and subject to storage fees. While drunk driving and driving while impaired by driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they can be separate, though related, offences depending on where you drive and your age. Alcohol and/or drugs impair your judgment. Impaired judgment or common sense affects how you react to sounds and what you see.
It is also dangerous to walk or cycle in traffic under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In Colorado, the blood alcohol concentration limit (BAC) is 0.08% for DUI and 0.05% for DWAI. The limit for impaired driving by minors is 0.02%. Commercial drivers have a limit of 0.04%. Motorists driving a blood alcohol concentration at or above the blood alcohol limit may be held liable for impaired driving or IASD, even if there is no other evidence of actual impairment. In the event of an arrest, the officer can take your DL, issue you a temporary DL for 30 days, and order your suspension. You can request a DMV administrative hearing within 10 days. The arresting officer may require you to have a breath test or blood test. You do not have the right to consult a lawyer before choosing or completing a test. A blood alcohol level below the legal limits does not mean you can drive safely. Almost all drivers are impaired by alcohol that is below the legal limit. The impairment you have at the time of your stop may be enough to convince you of a DUI even without a blood alcohol measure.
Needless to say, they all decided to take taxis home. However, it is important to realize that blood alcohol levels can vary greatly depending on various factors. The results would certainly have been different if they had not eaten or if their alcohol consumption had been different. Therefore, it is crucial for your safety and that of those around you to test your alcohol levels accurately. If you drive in California, you agree that your breath, blood or, in certain circumstances, urine will be tested if you are arrested for driving while impaired by alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both. If you drink faster than your liver can process alcohol, you may feel the effects of drunkenness, also known as intoxication. These include changes in behaviour and impaired judgment. The effects of alcohol can vary from person to person, depending on various factors such as age, weight, gender, and the amount of food you ate before drinking. To show how much blood alcohol levels can be affected by these factors, let`s look at an example. Bill, Suzie and Raymond went out for pizza and drinks last Saturday night. For 90 minutes, each of them consumed exactly the same: 2 slices of pizza, 1 pint of beer (with 4.2% alcohol) and 2 glasses of Pinot Noir (13% alcohol). Bill weighs 215 lbs, Raymond 175 lbs and Suzie 150 lbs.
About 43 percent of drivers fatally injured by alcohol had also driven too fast. In comparison, 23% of fatally injured drivers were drunk and driving too fast. The average age of drivers who have been involved in fatal accidents and who have consumed alcohol is lower than that of non-alcoholic drivers.