Women Must Be Aware of How Much They Are Drinking to Avoid a DUI

No matter what kind of drink you like to knock back, whether it be wine, shots, or fruity cocktails, it’s easy to forget just how much you’ve had. This becomes increasingly difficult when you have other people buying them for you and refilling your glass. However, you’re smart enough to know that, regardless of how much you’ve had to drink, you shouldn’t drive if you feel drunk. Unfortunately, although commendable, it may not be enough.

You could be pulled over, charged, and convicted of a DUI and not even feel drunk. If you have a blood alcohol concentration of at least 0.08, you will be charged. Even though you may feel sober, if you didn’t allow sufficient enough time for the alcohol you did consume to metabolize, your BAC may be a lot higher than you think, especially if you’re female.

BAC Levels Over Time

When determining your blood alcohol level, many factors come into play. Although you may not realize it, gender has a significant impact on how alcohol metabolizes in the blood. Although weight and alcohol tolerance plays a part, the fact that you’re female allows the alcohol to stay in your bloodstream longer.

For a better understanding of how long alcohol sticks around in your blood, take a look at the following table taken from the state of Connecticut’s data on BAC relative to time for women who are medium drinkers and weigh 138 pounds:

If taken in relation to men’s estimated BAC levels, you can see that the same amount of alcohol consumption over the same amount of time can cause women’s BAC levels to be almost twice as high as men’s. This is why it is extremely important to keep track of the amount of alcohol you throw back and the amount of time you give yourself to sober up. Otherwise, you may find yourself in need of an exceptional DUI defense attorney.​