Blood alcohol content (BAC) calculator

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If you get pulled over and your blood alcohol level is above the legal limit, you’ll be arrested for driving under the influence. If that leads to a conviction, you’ll find that getting car insurance after a DUI will result in much higher car insurance premiums — if you’re allowed to drive.

In most states, it’s illegal for people of any age to drive with an alcohol concentration level at or more than 0.08%. In Utah, it’s even lower – 0.05% BAC.

Insure.com’s Blood Alcohol Content calculator can be used as a hypothetical way to estimate the impact of each drink — but remember, it isn’t a surefire science. The actual impact of each drink depends on many factors unique to your circumstances, including what you’ve eaten and what medications you are taking. The best way to avoid a DUI is to avoid drinking and driving, period.

Blood Alcohol Content Calculator

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Your Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) Score is 0.0266

The basic formula for estimating a person's blood-alcohol concentration comes from The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Each drink in this calculation assumes a volume of. 54 ounces of alcohol (one shot of distilled spirits, a glass of wine, or 12 ounces of beer).

What is blood alcohol content?

Blood alcohol content (BAC) is the percentage of alcohol in a person’s blood. It is used to measure how much alcohol has been consumed, and how it can affect a person’s behavior and judgment. 

The basic formula for estimating a person’s BAC comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Each drink in this calculation assumes a volume of 0.54 ounces of alcohol (one shot of distilled spirits, a glass of wine, or 12 ounces of beer).

However, many variables can affect how quickly alcohol enters your blood, raising your blood-alcohol level. The body (regardless of gender or size) metabolizes alcohol at a rate of .016 BAC per hour — or about one standard drink per hour. Contrary to what some may say, there is no way to speed up getting sober.

How does the blood alcohol calculator work?

This calculator helps you determine an approximation of what your blood alcohol content would be if you drank a specific number of drinks over a certain period of time. 

Your blood alcohol level is affected by several factors, including your age, weight, and gender. The time of day, your physical condition, any food consumed before having a drink, other drugs or medication you are on, and your tolerance level all can impact your BAC.

The calculator makes certain assumptions, such as drinking alcohol on an empty stomach. If you eat while you drink, the alcohol is absorbed more slowly into your bloodstream. Nonetheless, studies have shown that impairment begins with the first drink.

Factors that affect BAC levels

There are too many variables to accurately estimate how many drinks it will take for someone to get drunk. 

“It’s important to understand that alcohol impacts everyone differently, and there’s no one-size-fits-all answer,” says Frank Harris, director of state government affairs at Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

Some of the factors that can impact one’s blood alcohol concentration include: 

Biology: The impact of alcohol on a body differs from person to person. Your body weight and enzyme production and levels all play a role in your blood alcohol level after consuming a drink. Hormone levels also play a role. 

Gender: On average, women are smaller than men and become intoxicated more quickly. Women have lower levels of alcohol dehydrogenase, which is the enzyme that metabolizes alcohol. This causes alcohol to remain in their bloodstream longer. Their higher percentage of body fat also reduces their body’s ability to distribute the concentration of alcohol. 

Alcohol type and concentration: The type of alcohol you consume plays a big role in your BAC, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One 12-ounce regular beer contains between 4.5% and 6% alcohol. A 5-ounce glass of wine contains 12% alcohol. A 1.5-ounce shot of 80-proof hard liquor contains 40% alcohol. 

Consumption rate: The amount of alcohol you drink and the time over which you consume it play a key role in determining your blood alcohol level. Medications and food in your system also impact this level. 

Food intake: Food in the stomach slows the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. Larger meals right before drinking are likely to reduce peak BAC.

Medication intake: The use of some over-the-counter and prescription drugs can cause alcohol to impact the body more quickly and to be metabolized more slowly.

Different blood alcohol levels and their effects

Alcohol affects everyone differently. If you rarely drink, you could be severely impaired by a single beer. For the most part, by the time you feel drunk, you are well past the legal limit. 

Blood alcohol content is expressed as a number that reflects the amount of alcohol in your blood as a percentage. Thus, a BAC of 0.08 indicates your blood is 0.08% alcohol by volume.

Harris notes that the U.S. once had a patchwork of state drunk-driving laws, including different BAC laws. Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD, began to push for 0.08 BAC laws in the early 1980s, and Utah enacted one of the first 0.08 BAC laws during that period. 

A national drunk driving standard of 0.08 BAC was set for all 50 states and the District of Columbia via federal law in the year 2000.

Since that time, research has found that a BAC limit of 0.08 is too lenient because critical driving skills are impaired at a BAC of 0.05, Harris says. 

“Research indicates that if all states adopted a 0.05 BAC law, as many as 1,791 lives could be saved annually, with alcohol-impaired deaths potentially dropping by over 11%,” Haris says.  

In 2018, Utah lowered its legal BAC limit to 0.05. MADD advocates for other states to enact similar laws.

For now, driving with a BAC at or above 0.08—or above 0.05 in Utah—is a crime in all states, but additional laws and penalties vary widely from state to state.

Consequences of a high BAC

Driving while impaired can have very serious consequences. Not only could you face fines, jail time and increased insurance premiums, but an accident could leave you liable for injuries and property damages. Or worse, you could be responsible for a fatality.

Every day, 29 people in the United States die in motor vehicle accidents that involve alcohol-impaired driving – that’s one death every 50 minutes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC. 

Car insurance rates after a DUI conviction can increase anywhere from 28% to 371%, depending on the circumstances, where you live and your insurer’s policies, among other factors. 

Call a friend instead of drinking and driving, take a taxi or use a ride-sharing app on your phone.

“Impaired driving is a 100% preventable violent crime,” Harris says. “When an alcohol-related crash happens, it’s never an ‘accident,’ because someone deliberately made the reckless choice to operate that vehicle while they were impaired.”

Tips for safe and responsible drinking

It’s crucial to have a plan in place to avoid drinking and driving, whether that means arranging a designated driver, using a rideshare service, or planning to stay overnight. Remember, if you drink, you should not drive. Taking these steps can help ensure safety for yourself and others on the road:

Drink in moderation: Try to have no more than one standard drink per hour. A standard drink is 12 ounces of beer, 8 ounces of malt liquor, 5 ounces of wine and 1.5 ounces of hard liquor. You should not drink more than three standard drinks in a day and seven in a week if you are female, and no more than four in one day or 14 in a week if you are male. 

Have a plan for alternative transportation: Make sure you have a transportation if you plan to drink. This might include designating a sober driver or taking a taxi or rideshare. Make these plans before you start drinking. 

Eat before you drink: Eating before you drink — especially high-protein foods — and after you start drinking can slow the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream. Never drink on an empty stomach. 

Recognize the signs of impairment: Be aware of the signs that alcohol is beginning to impair your body. These include slurred speech and decreased alertness. You might notice yourself becoming too loud or overly friendly. Drooping eyelids, sweating and flushed face are additional signs. Also, be wary if you start to sway or stumble. ”It’s also essential to recognize that driving any vehicle while impaired is illegal,” Harris says. “Operating boats, jet skis, ATVs/UTVs, and all other recreational vehicles while under the influence is just as dangerous as driving a car while impaired.” 

What our expert says

Frank HarrisDirector of state government affairs at Mothers Against Drunk Driving

“Many people mistakenly believe drinking and driving is only a problem if someone is heavily intoxicated,” says Frank Harris, director of state government affairs at Mothers Against Drunk Driving. “However, even small amounts of alcohol can impair judgment, visual functions, coordination, and reaction time, increasing the risk of crashes.”

Chris Kissell

Contributing Researcher

 

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Specializing in insurance and personal finance, Chris Kissell is a writer and editor whose work has been featured at Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, MSN Money, Fox Business, Yahoo Finance, Bankrate and Money Talks News. He is based in Denver.