Blood alcohol content, or BAC, is the amount of alcohol in an individual’s blood stream, which is measured in milligrams percent. In the State of California, a driver over the age of twenty one is over the legal limit if his or her BAC is 0.08% or higher. A driver who has a BAC lower than 0.08% may still be considered under the influence if they show signs of intoxication and consequently may be arrested for a DUI.
A person’s BAC is dependant upon many factors, including:
- Gender
- Weight
- Type of alcohol consumed
- Amount of alcohol consumed
- Length of time spent consuming alcohol
It is illegal for any driver under the age of twenty one to drive with a BAC of 0.01% due to the fact that the legal drinking age is twenty one.
The Drink Wheel, On-Line BrAC Calculator
Courtesy of Intoximeters Inc.
About the Drink Wheel
The Intoximeters Inc. “Drink Wheel”1 is a form that you can fill out. Upon completion we will instantly compute your estimated blood/breath alcohol concentration (“BAC”) based on the information that you have provided and return that estimate to you. It is presented as a public service to Intoximeters web site visitors. Its primary purpose is to provide useful information about the responsible use of alcohol.
Why is it called a “Drink Wheel”?
We call it the “Drink Wheel” because it is based on various paper and cardboard BAC calculators that are given out in alcohol awareness programs, some of which are in the form of a wheel that you can spin around to calculate your estimated BAC based on what and how much you have had to drink.
Disclaimer
It would be extremely foolish for us to pretend that our “Drink Wheel” can tell you what your BAC actually is, first because it would open us up to an incredible amount of potential liability and second if it really did work accurately there would be no need for anyone to buy the instruments that we make and sell.
A person’s actual BAC is dependent on many complex factors, including their physical condition (body composition, health etc…) and what they have recently ingested (including food, water, medications and other drugs). This site includes a more detailed discussion of the Pharmacology and Disposition of alcohol in humans.
The results that are generated are rough estimates of an average healthy person’s BAC assuming typical beverage sizes, recipes and alcohol content. The BAC estimates generated by the Drink Wheel should not be used to infer anyone’s fitness to work, drive or perform any other task or duty.