Blood Alcohol Content, or BAC, is one of the most crucial components of determining DWI arrests. BAC is a measure of the ratio of alcohol in your blood. The most accurate way to measure your BAC is to take an actual blood test, because this will give you an exact percentage. Luckily, there are other ways to calculate your own BAC that will give you a very close estimation. Knowing different ways to calculate your own BAC is very important for any driver, because you should want to know if it’s legally safe to drive your car after drinking. This will protect you from getting a DWI, and it will also protect you and other drivers from any serious car accidents.
Know the Different Factors: The legal level of BAC is .08%. For most people, your weight, gender and age are the three main factors that will decide what your BAC is and if it has reached the legal level. Know your current weight, because alcohol absorption will affect how much water you have in your body. Men and women metabolize alcohol very differently, and combined with weight, these two factors will produce different BAC results. Your age is also a determining factor, because the older we get, the slower our alcohol metabolism becomes.
Track Your Drinking: While you’re drinking, keep track of how much you’re drinking, what kind of alcohol you’re drinking, and how fast you’re drinking. All of these things, along with your body factors, can help you estimate your BAC.
Use All Information to Estimate Your BAC: As mentioned before, the most accurate way to figure out your BAC is to take a blood test. However, this is not always the easiest and most convenient way to calculate, so there are two other methods that can also work. You can print out a BAC chart to keep in your wallet or purse, which easily outlines where you’re at in relation to number of drinks and your blood alcohol level. You can also use an online BAC calculator by just entering your alcohol intake and weight to get a reasonable calculation. However, know that most of these methods will only give you an approximation, and you should do what you can to avoid driving after drinking alcohol.
Determining your intoxication is a great way to prevent a DWI, but anybody can still be pulled over by suspicious police and charged. If you have been charged with driving while intoxicated, contact a lawyer from The Goolsby Law Firm to get an experienced DWI lawyer to defend you in court.
