“Don’t drink and drive.” If you asked 100 people whether those words are good advice, I wager all would agree. The statistical relationship between blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and crash risk is well established and ranks among the most replicated findings in traffic safety research. However, it is deeply disturbing that North Carolina law enforcement officers arrested 14,655 people for driving while impaired (DWI) in 2024.
A law enforcement officer in North Carolina must prove three essential elements beyond a reasonable doubt to secure a DWI conviction. The defendant must drive or operate a vehicle on a street, highway, or in a public vehicular area while impaired. A person meets this last element if he or she is under the influence of any impairing substance — including prescription drugs or marijuana — that causes an appreciable loss of normal bodily or mental faculties. A person is also impaired if he or she has a BAC of 0.08 percent or higher, or any amount of a Schedule I controlled substance or its metabolites in the blood or urine.
Although many people are aware of the 0.08 percent BAC limit, they may not understand the corresponding degree of impairment. A standard drink is five ounces of wine, 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor, or a 12-ounce beer. An average-sized man may reach a 0.08 percent BAC after consuming four to five standard drinks within a single hour. Meanwhile, it might take only three to four drinks for a woman. Please note these are broad generalizations. Some people are significantly impaired with a lower BAC, and others may appear to function well despite consuming a higher number of standard drinks. Regardless, with a 0.08 percent BAC, a person is considered legally impaired — drunk, and not merely buzzed. Accordingly, he or she experiences slower reaction time, poor coordination, and diminished judgment, all of which are necessary for safely operating a vehicle…