Can I Have Just One Drink And Be Safe To Drive?

“I couldn’t possibly be drunk. I only had one drink.”

Police officers hear this excuse all the time. However, just because you’ve only had one drink doesn’t mean you aren’t too impaired to drive a vehicle. When it comes down to it, the only safe number of drinks you can have before operating a vehicle is zero.

But while that may answer the most direct question, it doesn’t help with the implied questions that often arise when discussing the risks of drinking and driving.

How Many Drinks Does It Take To Become Impaired?

James Payer, one of the experienced Orlando car accident attorneys, shares that according to medical experts, impairment begins with the first drink, regardless of other factors. The first level of impairment is a decrease in the ability to multitask and difficulty tracking moving objects. This level of impairment typically affects people who have only had one drink.

Once you’ve had two drinks, you’ll probably display slowed reaction times and decreased coordination. The latter is particularly important when trying to do multiple things simultaneously, like steering and signaling.

You’ll experience decreased perception and difficulty thinking and making judgments as you have additional drinks. By the point that most people consider themselves drunk, as opposed to just tipsy, they have limited processing ability and find it difficult to control their vehicles adequately. This is the point at which drunk drivers begin moving along the road erratically.

While a person driving with any level of intoxication is a threat to others on the road, they may not appear to be dangerous until they’re about four drinks in or more. This makes someone with fewer drinks more lethal in some ways than someone who has difficulty finding the pedals.

When Am I Legally Drunk?

This question comes from a common misconception. According to most state laws, a person is legally drunk when their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is 0.08 or higher. This usually occurs after they’ve had three or more drinks.

However, in almost every state, you’re also guilty of drunk driving if you’ve imbibed alcohol and it impairs your ability to drive, regardless of your BAC.

The BAC standard makes it easier for the state to convict you of a DUI, but you can also be arrested even if you have a much lower BAC. As long as the arresting officer can show that you were impaired and thus a danger to others, you’re legally driving drunk. BAC isn’t a defense against DUI charges — it’s just a way to prove that you’re guilty.

What Factors Affect Impairment?

If you look at BAC charts, you’ll see that they use “drinks” as a unit of measurement. However, this is a relatively unclear metric, especially considering that alcoholic beverages come in different sizes and varieties that range in alcohol percentage.

Typically, a single drink is defined as 1.5 oz. of 80-proof liquor, 12 oz. of beer, or a 5 oz. glass of wine. While each has roughly the same amount of alcohol, even this standard is variable. For example, some types of liquor are almost 150-proof and would effectively be the equivalent of two drinks.

The amount of alcohol you consume isn’t the only factor that affects impairment. Others include:

• Age
• Gender
• Body weight
• How much food you’ve eaten recently
• Other drugs in your system
• How quickly you drink

The last factor is particularly important if you intend to drink in moderation and then try to wait long enough to drive safely.

How Long Do I Have To Wait To No Longer Be Impaired By Alcohol?

This question becomes essential if you intend to drink and drive at any point in the next 24 hours. How long you have to wait will primarily depend on what you drink, how quickly you drink it, and how much you have.

If you limit yourself to one drink on a full stomach, you’ll probably metabolize the alcohol in about an hour. For the other beverages, you’ll likely need two hours or three hours. However, this recommendation shouldn’t be taken as permission to drink and drive. It’s simply an average that many factors can sway.

Most people should wait at least twice as long as these approximate metabolic rates before even considering getting behind the wheel of a car. It’s far better to let someone else who hasn’t had anything to drink drive you. Keep in mind also that your body is much more likely to clear itself of alcohol after a good night’s sleep.

Cheers To Staying Safe On The Road

The best way to ensure you get home safely after going out drinking is to have a designated driver pick you up or use public transportation (including taxis) to get to and from where you’re going. It doesn’t matter how much alcohol you have if you never get behind the wheel. At that point, you’re only a danger to yourself.

Does this mean you can’t drink anything when planning to drive? Not necessarily.

You can politely sip a small amount from a glass of champagne during the toast at a wedding without any meaningful effect, for instance. But even in cases like this, it would be wise to wait a few hours before getting into a car just to be safe.

It’s also important to consider what these guidelines mean for others on the road. If you know that a friend has had a couple of beers, even if they have waited a few hours to drive afterward, you should probably offer them a ride home rather than letting them risk their life and the lives of others. By being smart and careful, you can ensure that everyone gets home safely.