Blood Alcohol Concentration
(BAC)
(BAC)
In 2018, this state became the first—and currently only—U.S. state to lower its non-commercial legal BAC limit from 0.08% down to 0.05%.
Utah
This legal doctrine means that by accepting a driver’s license, you automatically agree to submit to chemical BAC testing if suspected of impaired driving.
Implied Consent
The standardized battery of tests developed by NHTSA includes the Walk-and-Turn, One-Leg Stand, and this eye test.
Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test
True or False: You can get a DUI/OUI while driving a bicycle, golf cart, or riding a lawnmower on public roads.
True
The safest role in a social group where one person agrees to refrain from alcohol entirely to drive everyone home safely.
Designated Driver
This organ is responsible for eliminating approximately 90% to 95% of the alcohol from the body.
The Liver
Refusing to take a chemical test (breath, blood, or urine) when requested by law enforcement typically leads to this immediate penalty.
automatic license suspension
In police testing, "nystagmus" refers to an involuntary jerking motion of this body part.
(nuh-stag-muhs)
The eyeball.
(It can move side to side, up and down, or in a circle.)
A standard 12-ounce beer (5% ABV) contains approximately the same amount of pure alcohol as this many ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.
1.5 oz
Popular smartphone applications like Uber and Lyft that allow you to request a ride home at any hour are broadly categorized as this type of service.
Rideshare services
The average adult body metabolizes roughly this many standard drinks per hour.
one standard drink (or roughly 0.015% BAC per hour)
This device, installed in a vehicle, prevents the engine from starting if it detects alcohol on the driver's breath.
Ignition Interlock Device (IID)
Alcohol acts primarily as this type of drug on the central nervous system, slowing down brain function and reaction time.
Depressant
True or False: You can still be arrested and convicted for DUI even if your BAC is below 0.08% if your driving shows clear signs of impairment.
True
A person who serves alcohol to a visibly intoxicated guest or minor can be held legally liable for damages caused by that person under these state laws.
Dram Shop laws (or Social Host Liability laws)
This physiological phenomenon causes a person's BAC to continue rising for 30 to 90 minutes after they have finished their last drink, as alcohol continues moving from the stomach into the bloodstream.
delayed (or peak) alcohol absorption
Beyond court fines, this financial burden often increases by 100% to 300% following a DUI conviction.
auto insurance premiums
This critical driving skill—the ability to perform multiple mental tasks at once, such as steering while watching traffic—is one of the first functions impaired by alcohol.
divided attention
True or False: Eating a heavy or greasy meal before drinking prevents alcohol from being absorbed entirely.
False (it only delays absorption into the bloodstream)
Choosing to stay overnight at a friend's house or booking a hotel room rather than driving home impaired is an example of this proactive strategy.
planning ahead (or pre-planning)
In most states, reaching or exceeding this severe BAC threshold—roughly double the standard legal limit—triggers mandatory minimum jail time and stricter penalties known as "Enhanced DUI" laws.
0.15% (or 0.20% depending on jurisdiction)
The high-risk auto insurance certificate required by motor vehicle departments after a DUI conviction to reinstate driving privileges is known by this code name.
SR-22 (or FR-44 in some states)
Combining alcohol with prescription opioids or sedatives produces this dangerous effect, where the combined impact is far greater than the sum of the two drugs alone.
The synergistic effect (sin-er-ji-stik)
(A synergistic effect happens when two or more things work together.)
Despite popular belief that a driver can "mask" breath alcohol with mints or mouthwash, mouthwash containing alcohol will actually cause this result on a breathalyzer test.
False high reading (or artificially elevated BAC)
The national non-profit organization founded in 1980 by a mother whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver, instrumental in raising the drinking age to 21.
MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving)