Most people have seen public service advertisements with the slogan “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving.” While they realize that driving with any amount of alcohol in their system isn’t the safest thing to do, many drivers assume they can’t be arrested for “buzzed driving” if they’re under the legal limit of .08% blood alcohol concentration (BAC).
The truth is that a driver can be arrested for drunk driving if they’re showing signs of impairment, even if their breath test results show that they’re under .08% BAC. For example, if someone is swerving between lanes, running stop signs or lights or driving unusually slowly for no apparent reason, an officer can pull them over and potentially arrest them.
Note that Missouri has a “zero tolerance” law that allows drivers under 21 to be arrested for DWI if there’s any amount of alcohol in their system. All states have some form of zero-tolerance law.
A small amount of alcohol can affect your ability to drive safely
If you think you won’t appear to be an impaired driver with a low BAC, some findings by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will be enlightening. Even a .02% BAC can cause some amount of judgment loss. At .05% BAC, a person can lose coordination. Alertness can also diminish.
All these things can affect a driver’s ability to respond quickly and appropriately to sudden moves by other drivers or other unforeseen circumstances, like part of a blown tire in the road. If someone is severely injured or killed in a resulting collision, a driver can face charges that can land them in prison for years.
Law enforcement officers take any impaired driving seriously. Prosecutors and judges do as well. That’s why it’s important to do the same if you’re facing any type of impaired driving charge – regardless of what any test results show. The best way to protect your rights and minimize the effect on your life is to get legal guidance as soon as possible.