Alcohol and the DUI law

Key points

1. At .08 percent everyone is definitely impaired, and driving at .08 percent or more is unlawful.

   Source: Handbook p. 33

   “At .08 percent all individuals are definitely impaired. Under Alabama law, it is unlawful to drive with a concentration of .08 percent or more alcohol in the blood”
   Alabama Driver Manual, Handbook p. 33

2. Fatal crash involvement of drinking drivers is as high as 50 percent.

   Source: Handbook p. 33

   “Special studies show that FATAL accident involvement of drinking drivers is as high as 50 percent”
   Alabama Driver Manual, Handbook p. 33

3. One bottle of beer has about the same alcohol as a shot of whiskey or a glass of wine.

   Source: Handbook p. 33

   “The amount of alcohol in one bottle of beer is about equal to that in an average "shot of whiskey or a glass of wine."”
   Alabama Driver Manual, Handbook p. 33

4. Commercial drivers are unlawful at .04% or more.

   Source: Handbook p. 33

   “Commercial vehicle operators whose blood alcohol content is .04% or more.”
   Alabama Driver Manual, Handbook p. 33

5. Drivers under 21, and school bus and daycare drivers, are unlawful at .02% or more.

   Source: Handbook p. 33

   “Persons under 21 years of age whose blood alcohol content is .02% or more.”
   Alabama Driver Manual, Handbook p. 33

6. Alcohol is a depressant, not a stimulant. It causes drowsiness, blurred vision and slowed reflexes.

   Source: Handbook p. 33

   “Alcohol is a depressant, not a stimulant. Consuming alcohol causes drowsiness, blurred vision, and slowed”
   Alabama Driver Manual, Handbook p. 33

7. Black coffee, food or a cold shower might wake you, but they will not sober you.

   Source: Handbook p. 34

   “Black coffee, food, or a cold shower might wake you, but they will not sober you.”
   Alabama Driver Manual, Handbook p. 34

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Alabama practice test

1. 1. For a driver age 21 or older operating a noncommercial vehicle in Alabama, what is the lowest BAC covered by the general alcohol per se threshold?

   1. .04 percent or more
   2. .08 percent or more
   3. .05 percent or more
   4. .10 percent or more
   Show answer

   .08 percent or more. Alabama treats a blood alcohol concentration of .08 percent or more as unlawful for ordinary drivers, even apart from proof that alcohol affected driving. The .05 choice is important as a warning level because the manual says it impairs most people to some degree, but it is not the stated statutory threshold in this passage. The .04 figure applies to commercial vehicle operators, while .10 is higher than the listed limit. Remember the distinction: impairment can begin below .08, but .08 or more is the listed unlawful concentration for the general driver category.

2. 2. At what blood alcohol concentration does the manual say all individuals are definitely impaired?

   1. .02 percent
   2. .04 percent
   3. .05 percent
   4. .08 percent
   Show answer

   .08 percent. The manual states that at .08 percent, all individuals are definitely impaired. That figure also appears in Alabama’s rule making it unlawful for an ordinary driver to operate with .08 percent or more alcohol in the blood. The .05 percent option is described as impairing most individuals to some degree, but it is not the explicit all individuals threshold asked about here. The two lower figures do not match either statement. Use .08 as the cue for the definite impairment point, while remembering that a driver’s ability can decline well before reaching it.

3. 3. What share of fatal accidents involve drinking drivers, according to studies cited in the Alabama manual?

   1. About 5 percent
   2. As high as 50 percent
   3. Less than 1 percent
   4. About 95 percent
   Show answer

   As high as 50 percent. Special studies show that fatal accident involvement of drinking drivers is as high as 50 percent, a fact not recognized by people who drink and drive. The alcohol in one bottle of beer is about equal to that in a shot of whiskey or a glass of wine, and the effect on the average driver is the same. Alcohol must be broken down by the liver over time.

Source: the Alabama Driver Manual, Chapter 4: The Driver. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.