What is the Legal Blood Alcohol Limit in Georgia?

In Georgia, as in the rest of the U.S., the legal blood alcohol limit (BAC) for drivers is .08 percent. This does not mean, however, that a person with a BAC below this amount cannot be charged with driving under the influence. In fact, we receive calls all the time from those who have been accused of and charged with DUIs even though they tested below .08 percent. Fortunately, there are defenses that you can raise to these kinds of allegations, so if you were recently arrested for driving under the influence, regardless of your BAC, it is important to reach out to an experienced DUI lawyer for assistance.

How Many Drinks Will it Take to Exceed GA’s Legal Limit? 

Every person reacts differently to alcohol, so it can be difficult to determine how many drinks would put a person over Georgia’s BAC limit. General guidelines state that it would take around four drinks for a man or three drinks for a woman in the span of one hour to reach this legal limit. However, a person’s weight, alcohol tolerance, medical history, and ingestion of other medications could all affect this, meaning that in some cases, a person could reach the .08 percent BAC limit after only one or two drinks.

You Can Face DUI Charges Even with a Lower BAC 

Many people are surprised to learn that in Georgia, drivers can be charged with driving under the influence even when their breathalyzer test shows a result of lower than .08 percent. This is known as a DUI Less Safe charge and it can occur any time the police deem a person (due to their consumption of alcohol or drugs) less safe to drive. In fact, drivers can even be charged with a DUI if they haven’t consumed any alcohol at all, as long as they ingested illegal drugs to the extent that it is unsafe for them to drive.

There are also certain types of drivers who are bound by different legal limits. Drivers who are under the age of 21 years old, for instance, have a much lower legal limit of .02 percent, meaning that it is a lot easier for a younger driver to face DUI charges. The limit for commercial drivers is a bit higher, at .04 percent. However, the latter is calculated from within three hours of driving, which means that a commercial truck driver can be charged with driving under the influence as long as he or she registers a .04 percent BAC test within three hours of having been behind the wheel.

An Experienced Cobb County DUI Attorney 

Because drivers in Georgia can be charged with driving under the influence even when their test results are lower than .08 percent, it is important for those who plan on drinking to avoid getting behind the wheel. If, however, you have already been arrested for a DUI, don’t panic, there are still defenses that could result in your charges being reduced or dismissed. Call experienced Cobb County DUI lawyer Andrew L. Schwartz, P.C. to get started on your own defense today.

Sources:

 gahighwaysafety.org/impaired-driving-laws/#

forbes.com/advisor/legal/dui/georgia-dui-laws/