Every time you consume alcohol, there are notable differences between the state of sobriety and intoxication. Alcohol is a depressant that changes mood, behaviour, and cognitive functions. An increase in excitement and risky behaviour are some known perceived alcohol effects. Severe alcohol-induced impairments are among the leading causes of road accidents and collisions in New Zealand annually. Setting the blood alcohol limit in NZ to 0.05% BAC could help minimise drunk driving. The BAC is the weight of ethanol in grams per 100ml of blood or 210 litres of breath. A 0.05% BAC means you have 0.05g per 100ml of blood in your system. The higher your BAC is, the more intoxicated you would feel.

Many people consume alcohol because of the mood-altering effect it brings. Depending on specific individual factors, it can help stimulate or relax a person. When alcohol enters the body, it reacts with chemicals that control your mood and actions. At moderate consumption, people find alcohol enjoyable as it lowers their inhibitions and alters their social behaviour. However, alcohol can also impair your reasoning, reaction time, and motor functions with overconsumption. It can also drastically affect your ability to drive a vehicle safely. Thus, the blood alcohol limit in NZ at 0.05% BAC is considered a reasonable limit for driving. However, you can ensure you are within the legal limit by checking your BAC with a personal breathalyser device. BACtrack breathalysers from Breathalysers New Zealand are highly reliable devices that can help with constant BAC monitoring.

Exceeding the Blood Alcohol Limit in NZ

Exceeding the blood alcohol limit in NZ has legal consequences. Adults aged 20 years and above violating the law may face hefty fines, demerit points, imprisonment terms, alcohol interlock programs, and court trials. Law enforcement patrols the roads for signs of drunk driving and conducts alcohol breath tests. 0.02 BAC level can make an individual have some loss of judgement. While a 0.05 BAC level, you will begin to lose small-muscle control, such as your ability to focus your eyes, and you may have decreased attentiveness. Additionally, high BAC levels like 0.08 typically have poor muscle coordination, loss of balance, slower reaction time, slurred speech, decreased eyesight and hearing acuity, impaired judgement, self-control and memory. Therefore, drivers with these effects should not be driving. You can use a breathalyser like the BACtrack to help you balance moderate alcohol consumption and driving safety. 

Can Alcohol Change Your Behaviour?

People who consume more alcohol in a short time follow high intoxication after. Particularly, the more intoxicated you become, the less control you have over your actions. Moreover, different BAC levels have various effects on the body. Therefore, knowing the blood alcohol limit in NZ using a breathalyser can help individuals from alcohol-related accidents. The following BAC levels have corresponding effects:

• 0.02 BAC level alters the mood and individuals may feel pleasant effects and lowered inhibitions. There may also be a minor loss of judgement. 
• A 0.05 BAC will begin to lose small-muscle control, such as your ability to focus your eyes, and you may have decreased attentiveness. The positive feelings start to disappear turning into significant behaviour changes including aggressiveness. 
• High BAC levels like 0.08 and above typically have poor muscle coordination, loss of balance, slower reaction time, slurred speech, decreased eyesight and hearing acuity, impaired judgement, self-control and memory. While you may not realise it, you can begin to make poor decisions.

Blood Alcohol Limit in NZ: Laws 

The alcohol limit for drivers aged 20 and over is 250 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. On the other hand, the blood alcohol limit in NZ is 50 mg per 100 ml of blood. For drivers under the age of 20, the alcohol limit is zero. You could be charged with drunk driving if you drive after even one drink. The consequences of drunk driving can be life-changing. It makes no difference whether you were slightly or drastically above the limit since it still violates the law.

When the authorities want to know if you have had too much to drink and drive, they will administer a breathalyser test at the scene. If you fail or refuse to take the test, you will be arrested and taken to the police station to provide two more breath samples into a more advanced breathalyser. Furthermore, refusing to take a blood alcohol test is criminal, and refusal may result in the confiscation of your vehicle. A driver guilty of a first or second DUI conviction faces up to three months in jail, a $4,500 fine, and a six-month or longer licence suspension. However, these fines and offences are preventable and help you keep within the blood alcohol limit in NZ. You can conduct a breath test using a breathalyser before driving to prevent you from being arrested. Breathalysers New Zealand has various personal breathalysers that provide accurate and fast results.

Blood Alcohol Limit in NZ: Self Monitoring

A breath test could help you determine whether you are still within the legal blood alcohol limit in NZ. A BACtrack personal breathalyser is an ideal way to perform a self-breath test. A breathalyser is a small device that detects alcohol in someone’s exhaled breath. To perform a self-test, insert the breathalyser’s mouthpiece into your mouth and exhale into it. The device undergoes an electrochemical process to measure the amount of alcohol and converts it into BAC statistics. Not only may the BACtrack personal breathalyser keep you safe, but it may also prevent you from getting DUI charges.

Breathalysers New Zealand offers BACtrack devices, a well-known high-grade breathalysers brand. They have a variety of personal and professional breathalysers that can assist you in staying under the legal blood alcohol limit in NZ. Keeping everyone on the road safe is critical when trying to get somewhere. Knowing your limit is helpful to keep you within average alcohol consumption and not push your limitations.

BACtrack Breathalysers 

Alcohol consumption can drastically change your behaviour and personality. The more you drink alcohol, the more you will have aggressive and risky personality behaviours. The laws have specific rules and regulations on charging drivers under the influence of alcohol. Therefore, monitoring your alcohol levels can prevent you from avoiding fines and penalties. A breathalyser like BACtrack is effective and cost-efficient in providing accurate BAC levels to maintain people’s blood alcohol limit in NZ. The Breathalysers New Zealand offers various personal breathalysers that use the same fuel cell technology as police officers, such as:

• Go Keychain;
• C6 Keychain;
• C8 Smartphone;
• Scout Breathalyser;
• Trace Pro Gen 1 & Gen 2;
• Mobile Pro; and
• S80 Pro

Conclusion

BACtrack personal Breathalysers from Breathalysers New Zealand ensure that you do not exceed the blood alcohol limit in NZ. The BACtrack Pro breathalysers are FDA-approved, which means they meet the requirements of breath screening devices. Therefore, they are reliable in preventing overconsumption of alcohol, which leads to changing behaviours.