Safe driving requires mind and body coordination and alertness to assess situations on the road. It would be best if you had quick reflexes to avoid sudden dangers that may come up while driving. In contrast, alcohol consumption impairs the senses, perception, and motor functions necessary for safe driving. Despite this, many people continue to drive under the influence of alcohol. Impaired driving is one of Australia’s leading causes of road accidents and incidents. Also, drink driving is a criminal offence. Individuals can face legal consequences if they measure a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.05% or higher. Therefore, more people use a blood alcohol calculator in Australia to avoid drink driving charges.
Your impairment or intoxication level directly depends on the alcohol amount you consumed. The BAC level is the percentage of alcohol in your system. Therefore, the more you drink alcohol, the higher your BAC level is. Understanding how alcohol affects your body is a great way to control your BAC and alcohol consumption. Thus, you can use a blood alcohol calculator to help you monitor your alcohol level in Australia. Also, if you are looking for a blood alcohol calculator, the BACtrack personal breathalysers from Breathalysers Australia are the best option. A breathalyser device efficiently examines alcohol in the sample breath through sensors to estimate the BAC level. Additionally, BACtrack breathalysers use advanced fuel cell sensors to determine your intoxication quickly and accurately.
Blood Alcohol Calculator in Australia: What Is BAC?
Alcohol intoxication, sometimes known as drunkenness, is measured by Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC). It is usually represented as a ratio of alcohol to blood volume. When someone consumes alcohol, it enters their bloodstream and travels to their organs. In an average healthy person, blood circulates through the body in 90 seconds, which means they can experience the effects of alcohol 15 to 45 minutes after their first drink. Blood alcohol calculators in Australia show the measurement as BAC%, and the legal limit is 0.05%. If your test is equal to or above that limit, you can face legal consequences once apprehended.
In addition, the liver can process one standard drink in an hour. Age, weight, gender, personal metabolism, and the amount of food consumed all influence how quickly the body absorbs alcohol. The BAC of a person drops by 0.015 per hour or 0.015 g/100mL/hour on average. Time, sleep, food, or other means will not be able to speed up this procedure. No matter how hard a person tries, they cannot get alcohol out of their system once it is in their body. Blood alcohol calculators can help you monitor your BAC until you are sober. The timeframe for detecting alcohol in a person’s system depends on the method used to test it:
- Blood Test: 6 to 12 hours
- Breath Test: 12 to 24 hours
- Saliva Test: 12 to 24 hours
- Urine Test: 12 to 24 hours
- Hair Test: 90 Days
Using an Online Blood Alcohol Calculator in Australia to Determine the BAC
A popular way of computing the BAC of an individual is using an online blood alcohol calculator in Australia. These are websites on which a person can enter details (factors that affect the BAC levels) and then automatically compute for the BAC. It is based on the Widmark Formula, which states that “one’s BAC is equal to the number of ounces of alcohol consumed, multiplied by a constant (3.75 for men and 4.7 for women) and then divided by that person’s weight”. Factors to enter in most online calculators are:
- gender
- body weight
- time since the first drink
- type of alcohol
- amount and volume of alcohol consumed
- percent of alcohol by volume of the drink
However, it is vital to note that online blood alcohol calculators are only estimates, and results are never 100% accurate. Hence, individuals should not rely on these, especially when considering driving. This is because alcohol has varying effects on individuals. Moreover, there are other factors that affect the BAC level that online calculators cannot account for, such as:
- age
- body type
- food intake
- metabolism rate
- medications
- body fat and muscle percentage
- fitness level
- the speed at which alcohol was consumed
Therefore, BAC results from an online blood alcohol calculator can be inaccurate and unreliable. A person relying on these guess estimates may find themselves attaining a drink driving charge or risking the safety of themselves or others. Thus, individuals should have a more reliable method for determining the BAC.
Blood Alcohol Calculator in Australia: Breathalysers
Multiple testing methods are available to detect the exact BAC of individuals. Blood, saliva, urine, and hair tests are among them. However, these testing methods require a laboratory to process the samples to determine the exact BAC levels. Thus, it makes them time-consuming and impractical for the average person. On the other hand, breath tests using a breathalyser are the fastest and also least invasive procedure. Using a breathalyser as a blood alcohol calculator in Australia is the most practical and cost-efficient method. Individuals would only need to provide an adequate breath sample by blowing into the device’s sterilised mouthpiece. Furthermore, the process by which the device produces a corresponding BAC value would depend on the sensor type:
- Semiconductor sensor – the device uses a tin-oxide substance to heat a steel mesh film with a heater coil. Then, when a breath sample containing alcohol hits the heated film, it charges the resistance. The device can provide a BAC value from the change in sensor resistances.
- Fuel cell sensor – the device oxidises alcohol in the breath by undergoing an electrochemical process. Then, the resulting chemical reaction will produce small electrical charges based on the volume of alcohol relative to the amount in the blood and convert it into a BAC value.
Particularly, Breathalysers Australia offers breathalysers as blood alcohol calculators specifically designed for personal use. These devices are highly accurate and can provide precise BAC results at a touch of a button in just 10 to 15 seconds.
Blood Alcohol Calculator in Australia: BAC Levels and their Effects
The degree of impairment induced by alcohol consumption varies depending on the BAC. At levels between 0.001 to 0.029%, impairments range from mild effects that can only be identified with sophisticated tests to issues with focus, reflexes, motor control, and more, with a substantial risk of death at 0.50% or more. The blood alcohol calculators in Australia provide accurate BAC levels using BACtrack breathalysers. These levels have different effects on the body. Here is a quick guide to the effects:
- 0.001 to 0.029 BAC% – mild effects such as an altered mood, a feeling of relaxation and a slight loss of judgement (can only be identified with sophisticated tests).
- 0.030 to 0.059 BAC% – reduced concentration and lowered alertness and inhibition.
- 0.060 to 0.099 BAC% – impairment in judgement, reasoning, depth perception, peripheral vision, glare recovery and muscle coordination.
- 0.100 to 0.199 BAC% – low reflexes, reaction time, gross motor control, staggering, slurred speech, slowed thinking and can have temporary erectile dysfunction.
- 0.200 to 0.299 BAC% – causes severe motor impairment, confusion, vomiting, drowsiness, loss of consciousness and memory blackout.
- 0.300 to 0.399 BAC% – a person can have bladder dysfunction, breathing dysequilibrium, faster heart rate and a high possibility of having alcohol poisoning.
- 0.400 to 0.500 BAC% – has breathing impairment, faster heart rate and positional alcohol nystagmus
- BAC% over 0.500 – highly dangerous and possibly fatal (risk of coma and fatality due to respiratory arrest).
Why Use a Breathalyser as a Blood Alcohol Calculator in Australia?
Alcohol effects work differently among individuals. For example, you may feel fine and in control after consuming one standard drink while others already feel intoxicated. Therefore, determining the BAC based on the number of standard drinks is inaccurate and unreliable. Using a breathalyser as a blood alcohol calculator in Australia before driving helps reduce the likelihood of getting into an accident. Thus, it facilitates good road safety. Notably, using BACtrack breathalysers from Breathalysers Australia can promote healthier practices. Breathalysers like BACtrack can help with BAC tracking and consumption monitoring, which can help increase awareness.
In addition, Australia is a country that takes road safety seriously. Around 1,200 people have perished, and about 40,000 are seriously injured each year on Australian roads. Accordingly, alcohol-related driving accidents are a leading cause of these mortality rates. Consequently, Australia has very strict drink driving laws in order to promote road safety. This adds to the reasons why you should own a personal blood alcohol calculator.
Blood Alcohol Calculator Australia: Drink Driving Laws
Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of alcohol, more commonly known as drink driving, is a serious offence in Australia. Drivers on Australian roads must stay within the alcohol driving limits. The alcohol driving limit would be based on what type of license a person holds. Moreover, Australia has a national legal limit set. However, each State or territory also has their own set of alcohol-driving limits and corresponding penalties. In line with this, owning a personal blood alcohol calculator in Australia, like a BACtrack breathalyser from Breathalysers Australia, can help individuals monitor their alcohol intake to stay within legal limits.
National Alcohol Driving Limits
- Zero BAC – zero alcohol level applies to drivers with a learner, provisional 1 and 2 permits. New drivers are developing their driving skills and must maintain a speed limit of 100 km/hr or below. In addition, visiting drivers or drivers holding an overseas license must adhere to a zero BAC limit. Zero BAC limits mean that there must not be any alcohol content in the system while driving.
- Under 0.02 BAC – this BAC limit applies to drivers of gross vehicle mass (GVM) or vehicle units exceeding 13.9 tonnes. Likewise, drivers carrying dangerous goods and public utility vehicles such as taxis and buses must keep below 0.02 BAC.
- Under 0.05 BAC – this BAC limit applies to all licenses not subject to the zero or 0.02 BAC limit. It is the general BAC limit that most drivers follow in Australia.
Alcohol Driving Limits for each State or Territory
Queensland
- No alcohol limit: = 0.00% BAC
- General alcohol limit: >= 0.05% BAC
- Middle alcohol limit: >= 0.10% BAC
- High alcohol limit: >= 0.15% BAC
New South Wales
- Low-range: 0.05% to 0.08% BAC
- Mid-range: 0.08% to 0.15% BAC
- High-range: 0.15% BAC and above
- Special range: 0.02% BAC – specifically for truck drivers and alike
Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
- 0.00% BAC for learner, provisional and probationary drivers
- Under 0.05% BAC for all other drivers
Victoria
- Low-range: 0.05% to less than 0.07% BAC
- Mid-range: 0.07% to less than 0.15% BAC
- High range: 0.15% BAC or above
- Low-range + First-time offence: Fines
- Low-ranged + 2 or more offences: Fines + Disqualifications
Tasmania
- 0.00% BAC requirements for young or probationary drivers
- Low-range offence: between 0.05% and 0.10% BAC
- Mid-range offence: 0.10% to 0.15% BAC
- High-range offence: BAC above 0.15%
South Australia
- 1st Category: between 0.05% and 0.079% BAC
- 2nd Category: between 0.08% and 0.149% BAC
- 3rd Category: above 0.15% BAC
Western Australia
- Low range offence: 0.05% to 0.07%
- Mid-range offence: 0.07% to 0.11%
- High-range offence: 0.011% to 0.15%
- 1st offence: Fines
- 2nd offence: Fines + License disqualification of 8 months (minimum)
- Subsequent offences: Fines + License disqualification of 13 months (minimum)
Northern Territory
- Zero BAC (0.00% BAC) for student or probationary drivers
- Low-level ranges: between 0.05% and 0.08% BAC
- Mid-level ranges: between 0.08% and 0.15% BAC
- High-level ranges: above 0.15% BAC
Blood Alcohol Calculator Australia: Drink Driving Penalties
As stated previously, drink driving is a serious offence in Australia. Hence, strict laws exist for driving while intoxicated by alcohol. As such, there are considerable penalties involved when breaking the drink driving laws in Australia. Therefore, having preventable measures like owning a personal blood alcohol calculator in Australia can be worthwhile for preventing drink driving charges that result in severe penalties. Furthermore, penalties depend on the driver’s age, occupation, the type of license they hold and BAC level. Subsequently, penalties for drink driving in Australia are:
- legal fines (such as penalty notice fines and maximum court-imposed fines)
- driving disqualification
- suspension of licence
- jail time or imprisonment
- Alcohol interlock order
Other Applications for a Blood Alcohol Calculator in Australia
Aside from helping individuals stay within the alcohol driving limits, a breathalyser as a blood alcohol calculator in Australia is used in workplaces. Particularly, workplace breathalysers are those that meet the proper standards, such as FDA approval and AS 3547 certification. Alcohol impairment in the workplace can lead to safety risks, low productivity, problematic behaviour, and strained interpersonal relationships. Thus, employers would need a reliable device for testing their employees for alcohol use or abuse.
Moreover, workplaces with a zero-alcohol tolerance policy, like the construction, transportation, mining, manufacturing and healthcare sectors, benefit significantly from these devices. Conveniently, Breathalysers Australia also provides a line of breathalysers explicitly designed for workplace use. Likewise, certified breathalysers signify the devices meet the minimum testing requirements. Furthermore, they feature highly accurate fuel cell sensors for detecting only ethyl alcohol in a person’s breath sample. False-positive results are less likely with BACtrack workplace breathalysers.
Blood Alcohol Calculator in Australia: BACtrack Breathalysers at Breathalyser Australia
Anyone can purchase the BACtrack breathalysers from Breathalysers Australia. A breathalyser efficiently examines alcohol in the sample breath through sensors to estimate the BAC level. Also, this device is the best blood alcohol calculator in Australia. The BACtrack breathalyser uses an advanced fuel cell sensor to determine your intoxication quickly. Not only that, the quality that only BACtrack can provide is trustworthy, accurate, and economical. Thus, products purchased from Breathalysers Australia will not disappoint. Breathalysers Australia carries the most effective breath testers, ideal for personal or workplace use. There are plenty of innovative devices available. For example, the BACtrack Smartphone breathalyser can connect wirelessly to a smartphone app via Bluetooth. The BACtrack app can store your results and track them over time. Furthermore, you can take advantage of the ZeroLine technology of BACtrack smartphone devices to estimate when your sobriety will return.
BACtrack’s current product line includes the dependable S80 Pro and the compact Go Keychain. Mouthpieces are interchangeable and reusable on most units. If sterilised, you can safely share them with multiple persons. You can also purchase them individually. Breathalysers Australia is dedicated to bringing these items to Australia. Additionally, a tiny solenoid air pump is included in the Pro Series breathalysers to ensure that the test only contains air from the deep lungs. This is where you will get the best alcohol test samples. Furthermore, Breathalysers Australia has personal, smartphone and workplace breathalysers, all considered the best blood alcohol calculators in Australia.
The Selection of Blood Alcohol Calculators in Australia by Breathalysers Australia
Personal Breathalysers
- BACtrack S80 Pro Gen1 – is the premier professional-level breathalyser people may also use for personal reasons. It has enhanced linear accuracy and convenient one-button operation for fast and accurate BAC results. It features a Pro-grade Xtend® Fuel Cell Sensor Technology.
- BACtrack Trace Pro Gen1 – is perfect for every alcohol-sensing application. It has a slim and understated design combined with ease of use. It features the Xtend® Fuel Cell Sensor Technology.
- BACtrack Trace Pro Gen2 – is the biggest-selling personal breathalyser. It is specifically used for testing at the Australian driving limit. Moreover, it has a slim, light and easily portable design. It uses an Xtend® 1A sensor modification for increased accuracy when conducting alcohol breath tests at 0.05% BAC.
- BACtrack Scout – is the most affordable hand-held breathalyser with a fuel cell sensor. It can deliver accurate and reliable BAC results at the touch of a button. It also features the Xtend® Fuel Cell Sensor Technology.
- BACtrack Go Keychain – is one of the smallest and sleekest keychain breathalysers on the market. It features the Advanced MicroCheck® sensor, which is considered the most accurate semiconductor sensor available. Because of its proprietary sensing technology and a specially tuned algorithm, it can deliver accurate BAC results unparalleled among its price points.
Smartphone Personal Breathalysers
- BACtrack Mobile Pro Gen1 – it integrates a smartphone app to bring BAC results wirelessly to your device using Bluetooth technology. It can quickly and easily calculate BAC levels and track the results over time. It also features the Xtend® Fuel Cell Sensor as well as ZeroLine® sobriety calculation, innovative tracking, personalisation options, and Apple Health integration tools. In addition, the BACtrack Mobile Pro is an award-winning breathalyser.
- BACtrack C8 Smartphone – it features a Dual-Mode operation. Users can choose the Standalone Mode, which delivers BAC results directly to a bright, easy-to-read OLED screen. Alternatively, the App Mode wirelessly delivers BAC results to a smartphone device through Bluetooth technology.
- BACtrack C6 Smartphone – is the most affordable and compact fuel cell breathalyser on the market with a keychain. It also features the Dual-Mode operation, similar to the C8.
Workplace Breathalysers
- SHIELD Express Identity and SHIELD Express Touch – The SHIELD Express breathalysers are the latest 2023 generation of Australian breath testing devices for workplace and law enforcement applications. It amalgamates two testing modes (passive and active) with touchscreen technology to offer unprecedented testing speed and accuracy. The SHIELD Express Identity variant supports photo identification for maximum compliance.
- BACtrack S80 Pro Gen2 – is the next generation of the premier professional breathalyser. It is designed explicitly for convenient workplace use, ideal for random employee testing or moderate volume use. It features an enlarged version of the pro-grade Xtend® Fuel Cell Sensor.
- BACtrack Mobile Pro Gen2 – the next generation of the Mobile Pro. It is designed to be ideal for remote workplace testing. It uses an Xtend® 1A modified sensor for added accuracy and assurance.
Conclusion
Finding an innovative and effective blood alcohol calculator in Australia is now easy. Breathalysers Australia offers some products that use a smartphone app to control them. It has advantages, including reducing the size of the breathalyser and making it more portable. Also, it can track your alcohol consumption and predict when you will be sober. Furthermore, the BACtrack devices only take 10 to 15 seconds to process your BAC results. Breathalysers Australia offers a wide range of personal, smartphone, and workplace breathalysers to purchase and use.
Personal and smartphone breathalysers are perfect for personal monitoring. At the same time, workplace breathalysers are best for workplace sobriety monitoring and pre-employment screening. Knowing when and how long your BAC would go down could help improve road safety and prevent unwanted trouble with the law. It can also benefit employers and employees for a safe workplace environment. In conclusion, the breath-testing devices at Breathalysers Australia are reliable tools for increasing overall health and safety, whether for personal or professional use. It also promotes better alcohol awareness to help make informed decisions. Therefore, if you are looking for a blood alcohol calculator, Breathalysers Australia is the place to be.
