A common mistake people make when calculating whether they are safe to drive after consuming alcohol is to compare themselves to others. Let’s say you go to the bar with several friends. You each buy a round, leave at the same time and all get stopped at the same police DUI checkpoint on your way home.
It’s unlikely that all three of you would show the same blood alcohol concentration (BAC) results when tested. Here are some of the reasons why.
Everyone’s body is different
Body size is one factor that can make a difference. A larger person is likely to be less affected by a particular quantity of alcohol than someone smaller, because there is more water in their body to dilute the alcohol they drink.
Gender can also make a difference. Male bodies contain more of the enzymes that break down alcohol than female bodies do, so men can generally process alcohol quicker.
Other factors
You and your friends likely started your first drink at a different point. Maybe one of you still had alcohol in their system from the previous night. Meanwhile, one of you hadn’t had a drink all month. Maybe one of you is slower to process alcohol because their liver is in poor condition.
Medication is another factor that can affect BAC. A person’s liver may be processing one or more drugs. Therefore, it’s slower to process alcohol in that moment compared to a person who is not taking any medications.
Trying to estimate whether you are below the legal BAC limit to drive is fraught with risk. If you miscalculated and were charged with DUI, it is important to explore your defense options, as a conviction can have lifelong consequences.