People get charged with drunk driving for multiple different reasons. One of the most obvious is when a person causes a crash that leaves someone else injured or causes substantial property damage. The police may require chemical testing if they suspect impairment and might prosecute the driver responsible.
Sometimes, police officers target someone based on their driving practices and conduct a traffic stop even though someone has not caused injury to others or damage to anyone’s property. A police officer can arrest you for impaired driving even if you don’t hurt anyone else if you violate the per se limit for blood-alcohol concentration (BAC). What exactly is the per se limit?
What does per se mean?
Per se is a Latin phrase. It means “by itself.” Law enforcement officers may have a valid reason to arrest a motorist for violating the per se blood alcohol limit if there’s no other reason for them to bring charges, like a driver causing a crash. Even if someone knows they are safe to drive, they can still get arrested if they violate the per se limit.
Essentially, per se refers to a legal limit established based on science. When it comes to your blood alcohol concentration, exceeding the limit will likely result in you facing criminal charges, even if you don’t believe the alcohol significantly impacted your driving skills
So what is the BAC limit in Ohio?
Police officers can determine your BAC using either a breath or blood test. An officer can charge you with drunk driving, even if you weren’t unsafe at the wheel if the alcohol level in your bloodstream is above 0.08%
Knowing and complying with the per se limit is crucial to avoiding drunk driving charges in Ohio.