After a night out drinking, it is difficult to know whether you have exceeded the legal limit for blood alcohol concentration. Many factors, like whether you have food in your stomach and whether you are male or female, can impact how quickly your BAC level rises.
According to the Florida Department of Safety and Motor Vehicles, it is illegal to drive with a BAC level at or above 0.08% in the state of Florida. If your BAC limit is at or exceeds this limit when a law enforcement official pulls you over, you could face severe penalties for drinking and driving.
Food in the stomach
When you drink, the alcohol travels by way of your small intestine and directly through the walls of the stomach. Alcohol will move into your bloodstream at a slower rate if you have food in your stomach before drinking, which can lead to a lower BAC level.
Gender
Men tend to have a higher concentration of water in their bodies compared with women. Since women have less fluid in their bodies than men, they tend to have a higher concentration of alcohol in their bloodstreams after drinking, leading to a higher risk of getting pulled over for a DUI.
The size of the beverage
Alcoholic beverages can vary in amount but still contain the same amount of alcohol, making it harder to determine if you have reached the legal BAC limit before driving. For example, one five-ounce glass of wine and one bottle of beer typically have the same amount of alcohol in them.
Medications, fatigue, stress, alcohol tolerance and other factors can also affect how quickly your BAC level rises after drinking. Although you should be aware of how much alcohol you consume, you should also know that your BAC level can vary depending on the situation.
