Vermont DUI Blood Alcohol Content

Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) is the official measurement used by law enforcement agencies across the country to express how much alcohol is in the blood stream of a driver. Officers in Vermont typically use one of two chemical tests (blood and breath) to determine a person's level of intoxication, and therefore, whether they are Driving Under the Influence (DUI).

The results of these chemical tests are usually the best pieces of evidence the state has to prosecute drunk drivers, but a failed test doesn't always mean a conviction.

BAC Limits

In every state across the country, it is illegal to operate a vehicle with a BAC over .08. Drivers of commercial vehicles can not exceed .04 and minors .02. The number of drinks it takes for different people to reach an illegal BAC level can vary greatly depending on an individual's height, weight and metabolism.

Tolerance generally doesn't affect a person's actual BAC, and in fact having a high tolerance is often times more risky because more experienced drinkers may not feel as intoxicated as a non-drinker even though they had the same number of drinks and therefore have the same BAC. Having a high tolerance can trick many people into thinking they are under the limit when really they aren't.

Because of its portability and reliability, the most common chemical test used to determine a driver's BAC is the breath test, which uses the device often known as a breathalyzer. However, both blood and urine tests are still used with some frequency, especially if the arresting officer suspects the driver of using a combination of alcohol and drugs. While the blood test remains the most accurate of the three, drivers must be transferred to a regulated laboratory with trained technicians in order to take both the blood and urine test, which limits their usefulness.