Can You Be Ticketed If Your Blood Alcohol Is Below The Legal Limit?

Yes. First, many states make it illegal for a minor (any person below the legal drinking age) to have any significant blood alcohol content while driving a car. (The threshold is usually set around 0.02%, to allow for mechanical error and the use of medications or mouthwash, which may artificially inflate the BAC.) Second, the key issue is whether your consumption of alcohol materially impaired your ability to drive. Some people have a low tolerance level for alcohol, and show the effects of intoxication even when they are below the "legal limit." Additionally, if you are taking certain medications, the effects of alcohol can be magnified. The police will sometimes seek a court order for a drug test, particularly if they suspect illegal drug use as the cause of your impairment. However, whether the drugs you take are legal or not, if the net effect of the drugs and alcohol is to substantially impair your ability to drive, you can be charged with "drunk driving." Also, some prescription drugs have a material effect on your ability to drive - the warning label on your pill bottle may specifically warn you not to drive after taking your medication. If you ignore this warning, and your driving is impaired by the medication, you can be ticketed for driving while impaired - even though you never consumed alcohol.