Learn about legal limits and how different BAC levels affect your body
While legal limits vary by jurisdiction, understanding how different BAC levels affect your body can help you make safer choices. Remember, impairment begins with the first drink.
Slight euphoria, loss of shyness, mild impairment of judgment
Feeling of well-being, lower inhibitions, impaired judgment and memory
Impaired balance, speech, vision, reaction time, and hearing
Significant impairment of motor control, slurred speech, poor thinking
Major loss of balance, blurred vision, severe impairment
Risk of alcohol poisoning, potential loss of consciousness
These are general guidelines. Impairment can begin at any BAC level, and individual reactions vary. Never drive after drinking any amount of alcohol.
It's important to understand that BAC levels affect people differently based on:
Regular drinkers may show fewer outward signs of impairment at the same BAC level
New drinkers may be more impaired at lower BAC levels
Medical conditions and medications can amplify alcohol's effects
Being tired can make alcohol's effects more pronounced
Driving under the influence can result in severe consequences:
Understanding BAC levels is crucial for making informed decisions. Use our free BAC calculator to estimate your blood alcohol content and make safer choices.