Which of the following statements is true about BAC (blood alcohol content)?
- The "breathalyzer" is a test of a person's BAC ✓
- A chemical test for BAC is needed for an alcohol conviction
- BAC levels are reduced by a person's physical fitness
- After drinking, coffee or a cold shower will lower your BAC
Answer: A. The "breathalyzer" is a test of a person's BAC
The "breathalyzer" is a test of a person's BAC.
Why this is the answer
The handbook says BAC is the percentage of alcohol in your blood and is normally determined by a chemical test of breath, blood, urine or saliva. Another chapter repeats that chemical tests use breath, among other samples, to measure BAC. A breathalyzer is a breath test, so it fits that description. The passages do not say physical fitness lowers BAC, and they do not say coffee or a cold shower does. They also do not say a chemical test is required for an alcohol conviction; refusal is described as separate from guilt.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. A chemical test for BAC is needed for an alcohol conviction — The passages do not say a chemical test is required for an alcohol conviction; the chemical-test chapter says refusal is a separate issue from guilt and can be used in court.
- C. BAC levels are reduced by a person's physical fitness — Nothing in the passages says physical fitness reduces BAC; BAC is described as measured by chemical tests, not changed by fitness.
- D. After drinking, coffee or a cold shower will lower your BAC — The passages do not mention coffee or cold showers lowering BAC, so that claim is not supported.
Remember it
Breath, blood, urine, saliva — the breath test is one way BAC is measured.