Blood-Alcohol Concentration (BAC)

Each state has DUI/DWI laws modifiable legal amounts of blood-alcohol concentration (BAC). BAC is determined through blood, urine, or breath tests when a driver is suspected of intoxication. The breath test is performed by using a machine called a breathalyzer and can be administered roadside or in a imprisonment center, while blood and urine tests can be administered at a hospital or in a detention center.

While most states have a lawful limit of .08 BAC for those over age 21, some states let a BAC of .10. Proof of a BAC over the legal limit for that particular state is mentiond to as ‘per se intoxicated,’ meaning that this is the only substantiation necessary to convict a driver of DUI or DWI.

In many states including Arizona, if a driver is under 21 years of age, the permissible BAC is typically lower than for that of an adult, and the BAC may even be zero. Any positive alcohol testing of the driver will result in conviction of DUI or DWI and will have more grave consequences. This is mentiond to a ‘zero tolerance’ state.

See also Implied Consent Laws.