Alcohol, BAC limits and implied consent

Key points

1. The legal drinking age is 21, and drunk drivers cause more than half of fatal collisions.

   Source: Handbook p. 57

   “In Rhode Island, the legal drinking age is twenty-one (21). Drunk drivers cause more than half of the collisions in which somebody is killed.”
   Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 57

2. If you drink even a little, your chance of a collision is 7 times greater.

   Source: Handbook p. 57

   “If you drink, even just a little, your chances of a collision are seven (7) times greater than if you don’t drink.”
   Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 57

3. A 12 ounce beer, a 4 to 5 ounce glass of wine and a 1 to 1 1/2 ounce shot have about the same alcohol.

   Source: Handbook p. 57

   “A 12 ounce container of beer, a 4 to 5 ounce glass of wine and a 1 to 1 1/2 ounce shot of hard liquor have about the same amount of alcohol.”
   Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 57

4. Only time reduces the effects of alcohol; coffee, food, fresh air or exercise will not sober someone up.

   Source: Handbook p. 57

   “After drinking, there is nothing that will reduce the effects of alcohol except time. Coffee, food, fresh air, or exercise might wake an intoxicated person up, but it will not sober them up.”
   Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 57

5. Any driver with a BAC of .08% or more is charged with Driving Under the Influence.

   Source: Handbook p. 58

   “Any person of any age with a BAC of .08% or more is intoxicated and will be charged with drunk driving”
   Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 58

6. Under 21, a BAC of .02% but less than .08% is Driving While Impaired.

   Source: Handbook p. 58

   “Any person under the age of twenty-one (21) with a BAC of .02% but less than .08% is impaired and will be charged with Driving While Impaired (DWI).”
   Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 58

7. By driving in Rhode Island you give consent to a chemical test if arrested for suspected driving while intoxicated.

   Source: Handbook p. 58

   “any person who drives a motor vehicle in Rhode Island has given consent to a chemical (breathalyzer-blood-urine) test to determine the amount of alcohol/drug, if any, in his/her blood if arrested for suspected driving while intoxicated (DWI).”
   Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 58

8. Refusing a chemical test brings at least a 6 month suspension plus fines and other penalties.

   Source: Handbook p. 58

   “If you refuse to take a chemical test, your license will be suspended for a minimum of six months. You are also subject to a fine, a highway safety assessment, public community service, and drunk driving school and/or referral to an alcohol treatment program.”
   Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 58

9. Combining alcohol with another drug can multiply the effects.

   Source: Handbook p. 57

   “Combining alcohol with another drug can cause a synergistic (additive) effect, whereby the effects are multiplied.”
   Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 57

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Rhode Island practice test

1. 1. According to Rhode Island's alcohol laws, what birthday marks the legal drinking age?

   1. The 18th birthday
   2. The 19th birthday
   3. The 21st birthday
   4. The 25th birthday
   Show answer

   The 21st birthday. Rhode Island's manual uses the twenty-first birthday as the dividing point in its underage alcohol provisions. That age matters when reading the separate DWI and DUI categories, but it does not mean a driver should use age alone to judge whether driving is safe. The 18th and 19th birthdays do not end the under-21 rules, while 25 has no role in the cited provision. When studying the table, pair the age boundary with the BAC range instead of treating the number as a permission to drive after drinking.

2. 2. How can alcohol affect a driver who has also taken an allergy or cold medicine?

   1. One alcoholic drink is too little to interact with cold medicine
   2. Only prescription medicines can multiply alcohol’s effects
   3. The medicine lowers how strongly the alcohol affects you
   4. The combined effects can be as strong as several alcoholic drinks
   Show answer

   The combined effects can be as strong as several alcoholic drinks. Alcohol and other drugs can interact so that their effects are multiplied. Even a simple allergy or cold remedy taken with one drink can affect driving as much as several alcoholic beverages. A medicine being familiar or commonly used does not remove that danger. The handbook advises against combining alcohol with another drug and warns that the combination can harm both health and the ability to drive safely.

3. 3. What does implied consent mean for someone driving in Rhode Island?

   1. The driver agrees to chemical testing after being convicted of DUI
   2. The driver agrees to chemical testing after any crash that causes injury
   3. The driver agrees to chemical testing by signing a form at a traffic stop
   4. The driver has agreed to chemical testing if arrested for suspected drunk driving
   Show answer

   The driver has agreed to chemical testing if arrested for suspected drunk driving. Driving a motor vehicle in Rhode Island carries consent to a chemical test when the driver is arrested on suspicion of intoxicated driving. The test may examine breath, blood, or urine to determine whether alcohol or drugs are present. An injury collision is not a condition of this rule. The word implied refers to consent that comes with driving in the state, rather than waiting for the driver to sign a new agreement after being stopped.

Source: the Rhode Island Driver's Manual, X. Drinking and Driving. 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.