Florida DUI Laws Less Restrictive than Other Countries

In Florida and all 49 other states, a driver is presumed to be intoxicated if his blood alcohol level exceeds 0.08 percent. Prior to a nationwide Mothers Against Drunk Driving campaign, the level in most states was 0.1. Fort Lauderdale DUI Lawyer William Moore believes the lower level and increased DUI enforcement has resulted in more arrests of female drivers. To give some perspective, the average 160 pound man would have a 0.07 blood alcohol content after consuming four 12-ounce beers in an hour at a Fort Lauderdale bar, although that figure varies significantly from person to person. If the same man had four margaritas during the same period, he would be at approximately 0.11, well over the limit. Four glasses of celebratory New Year’s champagne at a Fort Lauderdale party would put the same man at about 0.09. It is important to remember, however, that alcohol continues absorbing in the bloodstream even after you have stopped drinking. For that reason, you could blow a 0.09 breathalyzer reading when a Fort Lauderdale police officer pulls you over on the way home, although you were only at a 0.07 when you left the bar.

Florida DUI laws can result in harsh punishment, including jail time. Anyone arrested for DUI in the Broward/Fort Lauderdale/Fort Lauderdale-Dade area should contact a Broward DUI lawyer immediately. Despite the stringent Florida sentencing policies, the 0.08 limit would be considered very lenient in most other parts of the world.

In Hong Kong, for instance, driving over the 0.05 percent blood alcohol limit can result in fines and in extreme cases, imprisonment for three years. In Pakistan, Nepal, Laos, Vietnam, as wells as many nations in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, the legal limit is zero. Drivers are not allowed to be under the influence of any alcohol whatsoever. In other European nations, the limit varies from a low of zero up to 0.08 in just a few countries, but is between 0.02 and 0.05 in most countries. The average 160 pound man would have a blood alcohol content of approximately 0.02 percent after consuming two 12-ounce beers in one hour.

In addition to lower limits, punishment is often more severe in other parts of the world. For instance, the Swedes punish DUI of above 0.02 percent with imprisonment of up to six months; a BAC of 0.10 percent – the legal limit in the United States until relatively recently – is punishable by up to two years behind bars. A number of European countries impose lower limits for young drivers or those who drive professionally.

Fort Lauderdale DUI attorney William Moore is a former prosecutor and public defender. If you have been charged with DUI in south Florida, contact William Moore Criminal Defense, P.A., which has an experienced Fort Lauderdale DUI lawyer with offices in Fort Lauderdale-Dade, Broward, and Fort Lauderdale Counties.

This article should be used for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.