Comparing Pennsylvania’s BAC Level With the Rest of the United States

Every state in the country has driving while intoxicated laws, and every state has a limit as to what constitutes impaired driving. The Governors Highway Safety Association website states that every state except Utah has set that limit at or above a 0.08 percent blood alcohol concentration. Effective December 30, 2018, the legal limit in Utah will be 0.05 percent. For drivers under the age of 21, the limit is even lower: in any state, including Pennsylvania, a 0.02 percent blood alcohol concentration will result in DUI charges.

In many states, Pennsylvania included, the limit used to be 0.10 percent. That changed in 2008, when it was lowered to its current level. Utah was the first to take this step, making its legal limit 0.08 percent in 1983. It took twenty years for other states to follow. Experts feel that other states, Pennsylvania included, will begin to lower their limits to 0.05 percent in the coming years.

The lower percentage is a recommendation of the National Transportation Safety Board.

Other countries around the world have BAC limits of 0.02 percent to 0.05 percent.

Many things factor into the speed at which a drinker reaches a 0.08 percent blood alcohol concentration. A person’s gender, their height and weight, and the rate at which their body metabolizes the drinks all play a part. For one person, a single drink could lead to a BAC of over 0.08 percent. For another person, it might take four or five drinks. And, just because you don’t feel drunk, doesn’t mean your blood alcohol concentration isn’t over the limit.

It won’t be easy for states to lower their BAC limits. There are several factors that come into play, from claims that most drunk driving deaths are due to high BAC levels, meaning 0.15 percent or higher, to concerns about additional overcrowding in jails and prisons as a result of more DUI arrests.

Penalties for driving with higher blood alcohol concentration percentages increase the more intoxicated you are. You will be required to pay to have an ignition interlock device installed in your vehicle, and you may lose your driving privileges for a year or more. The more DUI convictions you have, the harsher your penalties become. Your insurance company may refuse to pay for treatment for injuries that have resulted from your Driving Under the Influence conviction.

Driving Under the Influence convictions are known to cause all kinds of disruptions, not only for you but also your family. Hiring an experienced attorney as soon as you are arrested is the best thing you can do for yourself and your loved ones. Get the legal assistance you need by contacting Logue Law Group. They will give you a free initial consultation. The attorneys at Logue Law Group are enthusiastic about helping clients get the best outcomes possible. They are relentless and practiced, and eager to face prosecutors with an eye to winning your freedom.

Your Pittsburgh DUI attorney will require you to give him all the facts of your case. Feel free to trust him and tell him everything, so he knows what he needs to do for you. If you confide in him, he will know how to explain your charges to you in detail, as well as giving you defense strategy options. He will stand beside you as you navigate the criminal justice system.

If you or a loved one have been charged with Driving Under the Influence in or around the city of Pittsburgh, you will need an experienced criminal defense attorney. The Logue Criminal Defense team serves Pittsburgh, PA, and the surrounding areas, including West Virginia and Ohio. To get in touch and schedule a free initial consultation with an experienced Pittsburgh Criminal Defense lawyer from Logue Law Group, call us today at 844.PITT.DUI or 844.PITT.DUI. Or, you can contact us online.

Don’t wait to call! The longer you wait to hire an attorney, the more difficult it becomes for him or her to get a good outcome for you and your case. Call today!