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Hawaii driving lesson · Alcohol & Drugs

BAC limits, implied consent and license revocation

A 3-minute lesson from the Hawaii course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
3 minutes
Course unit
Alcohol & Drugs
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
55, 56

Drunk driving isn't only a problem for heavy drinkers. It includes anyone who drives after consuming alcohol, even in medicine. Hawaii sets clear blood alcohol levels and takes your license quickly if you fail or refuse a test.

Over 18,000 (about 40%)

Fatal U.S. motor vehicle crashes each year in which alcohol is a factor

Handbook p. 55 ↗

Know the rule

Alcohol-impaired driving is your problem as a driver, whether you drink or not.

Handbook p. 55 ↗

Know the rule

Driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicants is prohibited in Hawaii.

Handbook p. 55 ↗

Implied consent

By operating a motor vehicle on Hawaii's public highways, you are deemed to have consented to a test to determine the alcohol in your blood.

Handbook p. 55 ↗

Blood alcohol content (BAC) levels

Blood alcohol content (BAC) levels
BACStatus
.02 or more, driver under 21Prohibited (zero tolerance)
More than .05 but less than .08May be considered impaired
.08 or moreUnder the influence of alcohol
Handbook p. 56 ↗

Administrative License Revocation

If a test shows BAC of .08 or more, or you refuse the test, your license is taken and you get a 30-day temporary driving permit. You may request a hearing.

Handbook p. 55 ↗
30 days

Temporary driving permit issued when your license is taken under administrative revocation

Handbook p. 55 ↗

Know the rule

A police officer who believes you're under the influence may request that you take a test.

Handbook p. 56 ↗

Know the rule

Refusing the test may revoke your license for one, two or four years, depending on your prior alcohol enforcement contacts.

Handbook p. 56 ↗

Know the rule

Even if you refuse the test, you may still be charged with driving under the influence.

Handbook p. 56 ↗

Know the rule

The test can also prove that you are NOT under the influence of alcohol.

Handbook p. 56 ↗

Your responsibility as a driver:

  • Understand what alcohol and other drugs do to you
  • Know your limits and don't exceed them
  • Don't drive when you have ingested an intoxicant
Handbook p. 55 ↗

Put it into practice

An officer stops you after two drinks and asks for a breath test. You think you're fine and refuse. Refusing gets your license revoked for one, two or four years depending on prior alcohol contacts, and you can still be charged with DUI.

Check your understanding

Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.

What is Hawaii's legal blood alcohol content (BAC) limit for drivers 21 and older?
  1. 0.05%
  2. 0.08%
  3. 0.02%
  4. 0.10%

Answer: 0.08%

Hawaii's legal BAC limit for adult drivers is 0.08%.

Handbook p. 56 ↗
Hawaii's "implied consent" law means that by driving on public highways, you:
  1. agree to random roadside alcohol screening
  2. waive your right to a hearing
  3. have consented to be tested for alcohol
  4. agree to a test only after a crash

Answer: have consented to be tested for alcohol

Anyone who drives on Hawaii public highways is deemed to have consented to a test of the alcohol in their blood.

Handbook p. 55 ↗
If your BAC tests at 0.08% or higher, or you refuse the test, your license will be:
  1. taken away, with a 10-day temporary permit
  2. taken away, with a 30-day temporary permit
  3. suspended only after a court conviction
  4. unaffected until a court date

Answer: taken away, with a 30-day temporary permit

Your license is administratively revoked and a 30-day temporary permit is issued.

Handbook p. 55 ↗
A driver is considered "impaired" (not yet "under the influence") when BAC is:
  1. more than 0.05% but less than 0.08%
  2. below 0.02%
  3. above 0.10%
  4. exactly 0.08%

Answer: more than 0.05% but less than 0.08%

The impaired range is above 0.05% but below 0.08%.

Handbook p. 56 ↗
A driver is considered "under the influence of alcohol" when BAC is:
  1. 0.10% or more
  2. 0.08% or more
  3. 0.02% or more
  4. 0.05% or more

Answer: 0.08% or more

A BAC of 0.08% or more means the driver is under the influence.

Handbook p. 56 ↗
If you refuse a chemical test after being charged with DUI, your license may be revoked for:
  1. 1, 2 or 4 years, based on prior alcohol contacts
  2. 30 days only
  3. 5 years in every case
  4. nothing until a DUI conviction

Answer: 1, 2 or 4 years, based on prior alcohol contacts

Refusal can lead to revocation of 1, 2, or 4 years depending on prior contacts.

Handbook p. 56 ↗
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