How much alcohol can a driver drink before it is considered drunk driving? In Michigan, the legal limit of blood alcohol content (BAC) is 0.08%. BAC means the amount of alcohol in a driver’s system at the time of testing.
If a driver is caught with a high BAC limit, they could be arrested and charged with drunk driving. Drunk driving charges can lead to fines, incarceration, probation, community service and license suspension.
How is a driver’s BAC measured?
There are three types of tests that the police can use to test a driver’s BAC levels. The police may use a popular kind of test called a breathalyzer or breath test. A breath test is done by having the driver blow into the port of a small hand-held device. This kind of test can be done during a traffic stop. The device will test the amount of alcohol in the air the driver breathes out. If the driver’s BAC levels are too high, the device will notify the police.
A driver may also be asked to participate in a chemical urine or blood test. The driver would be required to provide a urine or blood sample at a hospital. After the samples are tested, the police will be notified of the driver’s BAC level.
Out of the three tests, a blood test may show the most accurate results. However, even if a driver’s BAC levels are below Michigan’s legal limit, they could still experience impairment. And even those whose BAC readings are above the legal limit may be innocent of driving while impaired. As such, drivers targeted for DUI charges generally need to reach out for legal guidance to learn about their rights as soon as they possibly can.