Alcohol, Drugs, and Impaired Driving
Impairment begins before the legal limit
Alcohol is a depressant. The first ability lost is judgment - which is why impaired drivers believe they are fine. Reaction time, vision (especially peripheral and night vision), coordination, and the ability to divide attention all decline well before a BAC of .08.
Kansas limits: .08 for drivers 21 and older, .02 for drivers under 21 (zero tolerance), and .04 for commercial drivers. Kansas's implied consent law means that by driving you agree to submit to chemical testing; refusing a test results in license suspension independent of the DUI case, and the refusal can be used against you.
Only time removes alcohol. Coffee, cold showers, exercise, and food do not sober a person up; they may make a drunk driver more awake and more dangerous. A standard drink (12 oz beer, 5 oz wine, 1.5 oz distilled spirits) contains the same alcohol, so "I only drank beer" is no defense. BAC also rises faster in smaller people, on an empty stomach, and with fatigue or medication.
Prescription and over-the-counter drugs count. Antihistamines, sleep aids, muscle relaxants, and marijuana all impair driving, and combining them with alcohol multiplies the effect. Kansas law prohibits driving under the influence of any substance or combination that renders a person incapable of safe driving.
Open containers of alcohol in the passenger area of a vehicle are illegal in Kansas, and a DUI conviction carries jail or community service, fines, license suspension, and mandatory education or treatment.
Trap: "One drink per hour keeps you under the limit." False - BAC depends on weight, sex, food, and time, and impairment can occur below .08.
Rule of thumb: if you have to calculate whether you are legal, you have already made the wrong decision - choose a sober driver before the first drink.