How Alcohol Effects Your Driving - What You Need to Know Before Drinking & Driving

The effects of consuming alcohol and then getting behind the wheel to drive will affect people in different ways. To air on the side of caution a person should never get behind the wheel to drive after consuming any amount of alcohol or drugs. If however, you are going to engage in the act of drinking and driving you need to be aware of the effects on a person’s ability to function after consuming alcohol.

To drive a motor vehicle properly a person will engage their motor skills, vision & tracking ability, depth perception, attention, coordination and the brains ability to process all the information that it is receiving so that the driver can make an informed decision as to their next move. The amount of alcohol a person can consume before affecting each of these abilities will depend on a number of factors including a person’s body mass or weight and how often the person consumes alcohol.

It takes between 1 and 2 hours for alcohol to be fully absorbed into the blood stream. Based on body weight, sex and metabolism rates the following estimates can be assumed:

For Males

• A male weighing 100 lbs. who consumes 3 beers in a period of 1 hour will have a blood alcohol concentration level or BAC of .078%, right at the legal limit. When you switch from beer to hard alcohol, like a whiskey sour the BAC level is now .091%, which is over the legal limit.


• A male weighing 150 lbs. will have a BAC level of .077% after consuming 4 beers within a 1 hour time frame. Four whiskey sours over the same time will result in a BAC level of .089%, which is over the legal limit.


• A male weighing 200 lbs. will have a BAC level of .077% after consuming 5 beers within a 1 hour time frame. Five whiskey sours over the same time will result in a BAC level of .088%, over the legal limit.

For Females

• A female weighing 100 lbs. who consumes 3 beers over the course of 1 hour will have a BAC level of .086%, over the legal limit. Three whiskey sours over the same time will result in a BAC level of .10%, over the legal limit.


• A female weighing 150 lbs. will have a BAC level of .085% after consuming 4 beers, over the legal limit. Four whiskey sours over the same time will result in a BAC level of .098%, over the legal limit.


• A female weighing 200 lbs. will have a BAC level of .085% after consuming 5 beers, over the legal limit. Five whiskey sours over the same time will result in a BAC level of .096%, over the legal limit.

These BAC numbers are all based on consuming the drinks in a 1-hour time frame; a longer time frame will result in a lower BAC level. For example, take the 200 lb male who consumed 4 whiskey sours and had a BAC level of .088%, if he had consumed those 5 drinks over the course of 2 hours his BAC level would drop to .70%, still extremely close to the legal limit, but it gives you an idea as to the effect time has on blood alcohol levels.

As a person’s blood alcohol level rises, due to alcohol consumption their motor skills, vision, perception, coordination and ability to process information deteriorate. For example, a 150 lb. male who drinks 3 beers in 1-hour will have a BAC level of .052%, well below the legal limit in every state, but some states such as Colorado have what is known as a DWAI offense, which stands for “driving while ability impaired”.

According to Colorado DUI laws a person can be arrested for DWAI if their BAC level is above .05%, but below .08%. States that have implemented a lesser charge have recognized the fact that a person’s ability to function properly will diminish as they consume more alcohol. If you’ve recently been arrested for DUI it’s important to learn your state’s DUI laws and to contact a skilled DUI lawyer in your state as soon as possible.

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