1995 Chevrolet Suburban Owner's Manual - Page 186

BAC by drinking three4-ounce ( 120 ml) glasses of wine or threemixed drinks if each had 1-1/2 ounces (45 ml) of a liquor likewhiskey, gin or vodka. It's the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if the same person drank three double martinis (3 ounces or 90 ml of liquor each)within an hour, the person's BACwould be close to0.12 percent. A person who consumes food just before or during drinking will have a somewhat lower BAC level. There is a gender difference, too. Women generally have a lower relative percentage of body water than men. Since alcoholis carried in body water, this means that a woman generally will reach a higher BAC level than a man of her same body weight when each has the samenumber of drinks. The law in many U.S. states setsthe legal limit at aBAC of 0.10 percent. In a growing number of U.S. states, and throughout Canada, the limit is 0.08 percent. In some other countries it's even lower. The BAC limit forall commercial drivers in the U.S. is 0.04 percent. The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three tosix drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we've seen, it depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks, and how quickly the person drinks them. But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC of 0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills of many people are impaired at a BAC approaching 0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night. All drivers are impairedat BAC levels above 0.05 percent. Statisticsshow that the chance of being in a collision increasessharply for drivers who have a BAC of 0.05 percent or above.A driver with a BAC level of 0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of having a collision. At a BAClevel of 0.10 percent, the chance of this driverhaving a collisionis twelve times greater; at a level of 0.15 percent, the chance is twenty-five times greater! The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol in one drink. No amount of coffee ornumber of cold showers will speed that up. "1'11 be 4-3