• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Monitech Ignition Interlock Systems

Monitech Ignition Interlock

North Carolina's leading Ignition Interlock provider

  • Interlock Basics
    • What is an Interlock
    • Interlock Cost
    • Special Offers
    • Interlock Videos
  • Locations
    • Service Centers
  • Partners
    • Refer A Client
    • Attorneys
    • Counselors
  • Customer Support
    • Contact Monitech Ignition Interlock
    • About
    • Refer A Friend
    • FAQs
    • Reviews
    • Mechanic Code Request
    • Blog
  • 800-521-4246

Wait, Did You Say the Alcohol Limit is .04 for DWI in North Carolina?

August 18, 2015 by Editorial Staff

limit-04-second-duji-north-carolinaThe number .08 is well known all over the US as the legal blood alcohol limit for drivers. Push the needle above that on your breath test, and you have a date with a judge.

But North Carolina has an extra provision you might not have heard about. If you have a DWI conviction on your record, your limit becomes .04%. That’s just two drinks for an average 160-pound male, and less than two for a 120-pound female.

At first this might seem pretty strict, but it’s important to know that at .04 BAC (blood alcohol concentration) you are certainly under the influence of alcohol, though not intoxicated. At .04 your inhibitions are lower, and you might have some feelings of euphoria – probably not the best attitude for driving. More important, your sense of caution is lowered and your concentration is impaired, neither of which makes driving any safer.

So why are previous DWI offenders the only ones to face the .04 limit? The answer is that it is a compromise, like all drunk driving laws. Imposing an .04 limit for everyone would mean that few people would be able to drink even that one glass of wine with dinner and be sure they were safe from arrest. That is not deemed practical in the US.

Some countries do have zero tolerance: Brazil, Hungary, and Saudi Arabia can arrest drivers with any alcohol in their system at all. A level of .02 is the limit in China and Sweden. But in the US the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) called for a reduction to .05 for the national limit, and got little support. Even MADD called the lower limit unrealistic.

However, persons who already have a DWI under their belt have shown a serious lack of judgment, enough so that the state of North Carolina deems the lower limit justified. At that limit, almost any drinking is discouraged. There is some leeway, but two good drinks will probably get you arrested unless you allow a lot of time for the effects to dissipate. And that, of course is the idea.

North Carolina’s DWI laws are on the complex side, and the best time to comprehend their ins and outs is not while you are facing a drunk driving charge. So stay away from alcohol while driving, and you can pay the numbers no heed.

Category: LawTag: Blood Alcohol Concentration, North Carolina

About Editorial Staff

The editorial staff is a group of writers and contributors with wide-ranging areas of expertise. The editorial staff provides news and analysis of topics that are focused on community and driver safety.

Previous Post: « 7 Ignition Interlock Myths Finally Put to Rest
Next Post: A Car Breathalyzer Doesn’t Test My Blood. How Can It Know My Blood Alcohol Concentration? »

Free First Month

Call a North Carolina expert now at 800-521-4246 to claim your Free First Month!

Call Today
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Call Toll-Free

800-521-4246

Interlock Basics

What Is An Interlock

Interlock Cost

Interlock Videos

Locations

Service Centers

Partners

Refer A Client

Attorneys

Counselors

Customer Support

About

Refer A Friend

FAQs

Reviews

Mechanic Code Request

Blog

News

Copyright © 2023 Monitech, LLC.

Customer Support · Contact · ISO Certification