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So what does all this mean, you ask? Well, check out the handy chart below to see what driving functions are affected at various alcohol concentrations. Even at very low levels (very few drinks), some wacky stuff can happen to you.
| BAC (%) | Effects on Your Bod, Rod |
| .01 | Not much, you lightweight |
| .02 | Driving skills are affected at levels as low as .02%. That's not much drinking, so be careful out there |
| .03 | Decisions are slowed |
| .04 | Reaction time is slowed, as is emergency response time |
| .05 | Visual tracking, attention span, coordination, comprehension are all starting to go downhill from here on out |
| .06 | Yeah, still not much of a driver. Weaving is getting worse... watch out for that (fill in blank)! |
| .07 | On your way to truly drunk. Take a couple hours to dry out, rummy! |
| .08 | Basic car skills are on their way out the window, including speed control, braking, steering, gear changes, lane tracking, and overall judgement. |
| .09 | Ok, weren't you listening before? You really shouldn't be driving at this point... the slurred speech shoulda been your first clue. |
| .10 | What sheems to be the officer, problem? |
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At this point, we're hoping you're starting to get the idea. KNOW YOUR LIMITS. And we're not talking about your 'Gimme the keys, dammit!' kinda limits... we mean the real thing. Before you drive off, take stock of yourself. You generally KNOW when you shouldn't be driving, so it's just a matter of accepting that fact and finding another way home.
At this point, most states set .08% as the legal limit for driving. Even if your state is higher, it's best to shoot a bit low, don't you think? Spending the night in jail is no party, believe me. So how much CAN you drink?
Drinks to reach .08% BAC
drinks consumed in one hour on an empty stomach
| Gender | Weight in Pounds (lbs.) |
| | 100 | 120 | 140 | 160 | 180 | 200 | 220 | 240 |
| female | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| male | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
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Yes, we know your bartending pal Carlos down at the corner bar likes to pour 'em x-tra strong... regardless, these are the official numbers. Don't argue. If ol' Carlos is pouring doubles, then use yer noggin and double all the numbers... cause you'll get drunk twice as fast, bucky.
· BAC Basics
· Factors that affect BAC
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