Crime & Safety

How Many Drinks Will Get You A DUI? (Chart)

If you insist on driving after a few drinks, here's what you should know about how alcohol affects your system and your criminal record.

Do you know how many drinks you can have before you're in danger of getting a drunken driving violation? 

This year in Kent, there at least one notable car accident caused by drunken driving (see below), and several other people pulled over while driving drunk. As we head into the holiday season, Patch wants you to know when enough is enough.

When police pull drivers over for suspected drunken driving, officers ask them to perform field sobriety tests and to take a breath test to measure Blood Alcohol Content.

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A BAC test measures the percentage of alcohol present in a person's bloodstream. Ohio's legal limit is 0.08.

According to the Virginia Tech Alcohol Abuse Prevention website, every 40 minutes, 0.01 percent of alcohol leaves your system. 

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The limit for people under 21 is 0.02, said Bath Township Police Chief Michael McNeely. Is it concievable for someone to blow a 0.01 and still be charged?

"Yes," McNeely said. "Any alcohol you consume will get you charged with underaged drinking if you're under age. It's a zero-tolerance policy. Even if we smell beer, you can be charged with underage drinking."

So what's the difference between being charged with a DUI/OVI or underage drinking?

"With an OVI, officers have to show that someone's ability is impaired," McNeely said. "With underage drinking, you have to prove someone has been drinking. You can be charged with both."

Check out the chart in the media portion of this article to see what your limit is. And remember, how you feel also depends on your alcohol tolerance, McNeely said. 

"The only safe driving limit is no alcohol," McNeely said. "If you choose to drink, make sure you have a designated driver."

 

By the Numbers

  • Bath Township Police made 24 DUI arrests this year, said Chief Michael McNeely. Of those, 17 were male and seven were female.
  • The oldest person to receive a DUI was 71.
  • The youngest person to receive a DUI was 21.
  • The highest BAC level was 0.276. The legal limit is 0.08.
  • Most of the higher BAC levels were during rush hour, McNeely said.

Related Articles

  • Police: Teen in Rollover was More Than Twice the Legal Alcohol Limit
  • Drunken Man Passes Out in Car with Foot on Brake In Middle of Road
  • 71-Year-Old Man Busted for Drunken Driving in Fairlawn
  • Akron Woman Drives 3 Miles North in South Lanes of I-77
  • Copley Teen's Crash Leads to Investigation of Akron Bar
  • UPDATE: Copley Woman Ejected from Car in Overnight Accident ID'd
  • Three Arrested During Early Morning Traffic Stop in Bath


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