Rhode Island · Handbook chapter 9 · 3 min read

How alcohol and drugs affect Rhode Island drivers, BAC limits for adults and under-21 drivers, implied consent, chemical test refusal, penalties and underage alcohol laws.

Why this chapter matters

The manual calls alcohol by far the greatest hazard for a driver. Drunk drivers cause more than half of the collisions in which someone is killed, and even a little drinking makes a crash seven times more likely.

How alcohol affects you

• Alcohol reaches the brain within seconds and first affects judgment and skill, then depth perception, speed judgment and control.
• It is a depressant: it slows reflexes and reduces alertness and vision. People who seem livelier after drinking have simply lost caution and self-control.
• A 12-ounce beer, a 4 to 5 ounce glass of wine and a 1 to 1.5 ounce shot of liquor hold about the same amount of alcohol.
• Drinking on an empty stomach, while tired or with medicine makes the effects stronger.
• Only time sobers you up. Coffee, food, fresh air or exercise do not.

Drugs

• Medicines for headaches, colds, hay fever, allergies or nerves can make you drowsy. Ask your doctor about side effects.
• Pep pills may make you alert briefly, then nervous, dizzy and tired.
• Tranquilizers and sedatives are especially dangerous with alcohol. Mixing alcohol with another drug can multiply the effects: one drink plus a cold remedy may hit like several drinks.
• Drivers who have used marijuana make more mistakes and have more trouble with headlight glare.

BAC limits

Your BAC depends on how much you drank, your weight, food eaten, how long you have been drinking and how fast your body processes alcohol. You can be convicted even without a chemical test if the officer shows the court your driving was affected.

Implied consent and refusal

• By driving in Rhode Island you have agreed to a chemical (breath, blood or urine) test if arrested on suspicion of impaired driving.
• Refusing brings a license suspension of at least six months, plus a fine, assessments, community service and a DWI course or treatment.

Penalties (examples from the manual)

• Drinking any alcoholic beverage while driving is illegal at every age.
• Adult first DUI at .08 to .10: up to 1 year in prison, 30 to 180 days suspension, $100 to $300 fine, a $500 highway safety assessment and community service.
• Penalties rise with BAC (.10, .15 and over) and with repeat offenses within five years; a third offense is a felony and the state can seize the vehicle. DUI causing serious injury or death is a felony with long prison terms.
• Under 18, a first DWI (.02 to .08) means a 6 to 12 month suspension; a second means suspension until age 21.

Underage alcohol laws

• Under 21 and driving, without a parent or guardian, with alcohol in the vehicle, opened or unopened: license suspension of up to 30 days (unless you are 16 to 21 and carrying unopened alcohol for your job).
• Under 21 in possession of alcohol: a fine of $150 to $750 for a first offense and a license suspension of at least 60 days.