The last thing you want to happen after spending a night out with friends is a DUI charge. However, it is easy to go overboard when drinking and wind up getting more inebriated than you originally planned. This will lead you to legal trouble if you are above the legal limit when pulled over.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each drink raises your blood alcohol content (BAC) a little more. By understanding things like standard drink sizes and how many drinks it actually takes to become inebriated, you can lower your risk of receiving a DUI.
Standard drink sizes and alcohol potencies
In most cases, drinking four standard alcoholic beverages will elevate your BAC to .08%. This is the legal driving limit, which means you can receive a DUI charge if you are at or over this limit.
While it is relatively easy to understand the number of drinks it takes, standard drink size is less obvious. The size of a standard drink varies based on what type of alcohol you are consuming:
Beer
Many beers have an alcohol content of about 5%. With 5% alcohol content, 12 ounces is a standard drink size for beer.
Wine
Most wines have an alcohol content of about 12%. As a result, the standard for wine is about five ounces.
Malt liquor
Malt liquors are beers with a slightly higher alcohol content than other types of beer. Because they typically have an alcohol content of 7%, malt liquor is usually served in an eight ounce glass.
Distilled spirits or liquor
Spirits and liquor have the highest potency among different types of alcohol. For example, an 80-proof liquor has 40% alcohol content, which means 1.5 ounces, also known as a shot, is standard when it comes to drink size.
When you plan on having alcoholic beverages when out and about, arrange for an alternate way home. Designated drivers, ride-shares services, and taxis can all get you home safely and prevent you from receiving a DUI.