How Familiar Are You With Levels of BAC?
Every one that drinks occasionally has had the experience of being drunker than they thought they were. Alcohol, even in small amounts, can impair your physical and mental abilities — including your motor skills, more than you may realize. A typical man of 170 pounds, ingesting one drink every twenty minutes will raise his blood alcohol content quickly, becoming functionally impaired.
Examples of the impact on basis of alcohol content are the following:
BAC (The following are in % of how much of your blood is made up of alcohol)
0.000 to 0.020 – At the end of first drink, will loosen you up and lower your defense. Inhibitions will ease and a general sense of happiness is felt. Motor functions are not noticeably affected.
0.030 to 0.040 – Judgment, concentration and your ability to focus on moving objects are impaired. Coordination and multitasking behind the wheel of a vehicle may not be noticed but also are affected.
0.050 to 0.080 – Reasoning at this point has become difficult. Your feelings have been numbed. Aspects of vision such as depth perception, peripheral and glare recovery are failing. Reflexes, reaction time and ability to steer a vehicle will also be diminished.
0.090 to 0.111 – All inhibitions, sexual performance and pleasure are impaired greatly at this point. You can experience short-term memory loss. Perception of your actions, ability to concentrate and process information has become difficult. Speed control of your vehicle at this point is hard to maintain.
0.120 to 0.200 – Your speech is slurred and you experience mood swings from happy to sad. At this point loud outbursts are likely. Ability to control your vehicle, staying in proper lanes and braking are severely influenced.
0.210 to 0.300 – At this point most will enter a stupor, memory blackout or become unconscious. Sensations are dulled as to have lost them. Operation of a vehicle is almost inconceivable.
0.310 to 0.390 – Your breathing and heart rate can become abnormal. Bladder control can be lost also may become unconscious. Death is a possibility with blood alcohol content of this percentage.
0.400+ – Death is a likely due to heart and lungs shutting down.
As you can see, it does not take much alcohol to become too impaired to drive a vehicle. Resulting legal ramifications can vary on the number of offenses represented on your driving record. If you find yourself in trouble with the law, you will need the services of an experienced attorney. Please call the DUI attorneys at The Umansky Law Firm today at (407)228-3838.
