Vermont Castings MOTORCYCLE Manual page 80

 
Blood Alcohol Concentration
Blood Alcohol Concentration or BAC
is the amount of alcohol in relation to
blood in the body. Generally, alcohol can
be eliminated in the body at the rate of
almost one drink per hour. But a variety
of other factors may also influence
the level of alcohol retained. The more
alcohol in your blood, the greater the
degree of impairment.
Three factors play a major part in
determining BAC:
• The amount of alcohol you
consume.
• How fast you drink.
• Your body weight.
Other factors also contribute to the
way alcohol affects your system.
Your sex, physical condition and
food intake are just a few that may
cause your BAC level to be even higher.
But the full effects of these are not
completely known. Alcohol may still
accumulate in your body even if you
are drinking at a rate of one drink
per hour� Abilities and judgment can be
affected by that one drink.
A 12-ounce can of beer, a mixed drink
with one shot (1.5 ounces) of liquor,
and a 5-ounce glass of wine all contain
the same amount of alcohol.
The faster you drink, the more alcohol
accumulates in your body. If you drink
two drinks in an hour, at the end of that
hour, at least one drink will remain in
your bloodstream.
Without taking into account any
other factors, these examples illustrate
why time is a critical factor when a rider
decides to drink.
If you drink:
– Seven drinks over the span of three
hours you would have at least four (7 –
3 = 4) drinks remaining in your system
at the end of the three hours. You
would need at least another four hours
to eliminate the four remaining drinks
before you consider riding.
alcoholcontent
43 43