AIt's the amount of alcohol absorbed into the bloodstream. AStudies have shown that the risk of a single vehicle fatal car crash involving a driver with a blood alcohol level between 0.05 and 0.09 percent is 11.1 times greater than for a sober driver. The risk is 48 times greater between 0.10 and 0.14 percent, and 380 times greater at 0.15 percent or more.
Metabolism is the only process by which alcohol is detoxified and removed from the blood.
Food intake, age, gender, health, fatigue and other factors affect the speed by which alcohol is absorbed and also removed from the body. Breath tests only measure alcohol consumption and not the presence of drugs. An officer in Minnesota can legally confiscate a person's driver's license at .10. But failing a sobriety test or demonstrating erratic driving caused by lack of sleep, inattention, or other factors can also lead to arrest or detainment.