If the court convicts you for drinking and driving, you could face severe penalties, like jail time and the requirement to pay a fine. The Texas Department of Transportation states that you can face charges for DWI if your blood alcohol content level is at or above 0.08%.
Your BAC measures how much alcohol is present within your bloodstream based on how much alcohol you drank within a pre-determined period of time. Many factors can affect your BAC, so it can be difficult to determine whether you have exceeded the legal limit or not while drinking.
1. Age
Alcohol has a bigger impact on you the older you get. After drinking the same amount of alcohol, you and someone older than you may have different BAC levels.
2. Weight
The amount of water in your body is indicative of how much you weigh. Since water has a diluting effect on alcohol, someone who weighs more than you may have a lower BAC level after you both consume the same type and number of drinks.
3. Gender
Men typically have a higher water content in their bodies than women. If you are a woman, you may have a higher BAC level than a male who consumed the same amount of alcohol at the same rate.
4. Food in your stomach
Your BAC level will be higher after consuming alcohol on an empty stomach than drinking after eating. Food reduces how quickly alcohol travels into your bloodstream, keeping more alcohol in your stomach for longer.