Can I Just Have One Drink And Be Safe To Drive?
When you consume alcohol, the percentage of alcohol in your bloodstream, referred to as your blood alcohol content (BAC), increases. Understanding your BAC and how it is affected by several factors is critical because it is a legal number that can be used to establish whether you are too drunk to drive.
BAC Basics In Colorado
In Colorado, the legal BAC limit for driving is .08%. If you drive with a BAC of .08% or more, you are considered legally intoxicated and may be arrested for driving under the influence (DUI). A common question that many ask regarding the limit is, “How much does one drink elevate a person’s BAC?” The answer depends on many factors, such as:
- The weight and body mass of the person drinking
- The type of alcohol consumed
- Whether the person drinking consumed food
- The individual’s sex
- The passage of time
Each of these factors can heavily influence a person’s BAC and ability to drive safely, even after just one drink. For example, a person weighing 100 pounds will likely have a higher BAC and be more impaired after one alcoholic drink than a person weighing 250 pounds.
Type Of Alcohol Consumed
As you may know, beer has far less alcohol content than vodka and other spirits, while wine sits between the two. As such, eight ounces of beer is less intoxicating than the same amount of wine. However, serving sizes of various alcoholic drinks tend to match one another in terms of alcohol content. For example, while a standard serving of beer is about 12 ounces and a standard shot typically sits at around 1.5 ounces, both generally contain the same amount of alcohol.
Passage Of Time
Perhaps the most important factor in whether you are safe to drive after a single drink is the passage of time. Time allows your body to metabolize alcohol. And according to many studies, most people can metabolize around one serving of alcohol per hour. As such, if you were to get behind the wheel right after drinking, you would have most of the alcohol you just drank coursing through your veins for most of the next hour.
Still, how much does one drink raise a person’s BAC? The answer is that it depends. Generally speaking, one serving of alcohol can typically raise BAC between .01% and .04%. Although below the legal limit, this BAC range is capable of impairing a driver enough to cause an accident.
Other Factors
A person’s sex and food consumption also play a role in how impaired a person is after just one drink. If you drink on an empty stomach, you will absorb alcohol more quickly into your bloodstream than someone who has a full meal in their stomach. The meal will absorb a large portion of the alcohol, which will result in it passing into the bloodstream at a much slower pace.
As such, you, having consumed alcohol without any food in your system, will likely be more impaired on the road than the latter individual and more likely to cause serious car accident injuries as a result.
Playing It Safe
The phrase “better safe than sorry” is well applicable in situations involving drinking and driving. The negative consequences anyone can cause and face are simply far too severe to risk. If you are ever in a situation where you are doubting your legal driving sobriety, take the safe option and refrain from getting behind the wheel.
Contact our Denver Car Accident Attorneys at Zaner Harden Personal Injury Lawyers in Denver. Call Us at (720) 613 9706
If you experience an accident of any kind, don’t hesitate to contact the experienced personal injury lawyers at Zaner Harden Law. We offer a free consultation to discuss your situation and next steps.
For more information, please contact the Denver car accident lawyers at Zaner Harden Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free initial consultation with a Denver personal injury lawyer.
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Denver, CO 80202
(720) 613 9706
