Which statement about impairment and BAC is true?

• A. Impairment can begin at a BAC as low as 0.02
• B. Impairment only occurs at BAC of 0.08 or higher
• C. Impairment begins at 0.15 or higher
• D. Impairment is impossible at low BAC

Answer: (A)

Alcohol affects driving abilities even at very small amounts, so impairment can begin well below the common legal limit. At around 0.02 BAC, most people already show subtle changes such as slower reaction time, reduced attention, and poorer tracking of moving objects. These small effects can degrade driving performance, even if a person doesn’t feel drunk. As BAC rises, impairment becomes more noticeable, but the key point is that it can start at 0.02, not only at higher levels. The other statements—saying impairment only occurs at 0.08 or higher, starting at 0.15 or higher, or that impairment is impossible at low BAC—are not true because impairment can and does begin at much lower levels.