1998 Chevrolet Corvette Owner's Manual - Page 195

It's the amountof alcohol that counts. For example, if the same person drankthree double martinis (3 ounces or 90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, person's the BAC would be close to percent. A person who 0.12 consumes food before or during drinking will have just a somewhat lower BAC level. There is a gender difference, too. Women generally have a lower relative percentage body water than men. of Since alcohol is carried in body water, this means that a an of woman generally will reach a higher BAC level than a The body takes about hour to rid itself the alcohol of man of her same body weight when each has the same in one drink.No amount of coffee or number cold showers will speed that "I'll be careful" isn't the up. number of drinks. right answer. What there's an emergency, a need to if The law in many U.S. states setsthe legal limit at a BAC take sudden action, when a child darts into the street? as of 0.10 percent. In a growing number U.S. states, and of A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able throughout Canada, the limit is 0.08 percent. In some to react quickly enough avoid the collision. to other countries, it's even lower. BAC limitfor all The There's something else about drinking and driving that commercial drivers in United States is 0.04 percent. the many people don't know. Medical research shows that The BAC will be over percent after three to 0.10 alcohol in a person's system can make crash injuries six drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we've seen, it worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord or depends onhow much alcoholis in the drinks, and how heart. This means that when anyone who has been quickly the person drinks them. drinking -- driver or passenger -- is in a crash, that But the ability to driveis affected well below a BAC of person's chanceof being killed or permanently disabled 0.10 percent. Research shows that driving skills of the is higher thanif the person had not been drinking. many people are impaired at a BAC approaching 0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night. All drivers are impaired at BAC levels above 0.05 percent. Statistics show that the chance being ina collision of increases sharplyfor 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 chancehaving a of collision. At a BAC level 0.10 percent, the chance of of this driver having a collision 12 times greater; at a is level of 0.15 percent, the chance is times greater! 25