What is driving while intoxicated (DWI)?

• A. The charge given to any driver who has a drink.
• B. The charge given to a driver over age 21 caught driving with any alcohol in their system.
• C. The charge given to a driver over age 21 caught driving with a BAC that exceeds 0.08 percent.
• D. A term for driving during rainy weather.

Answer: (C)

DWI is an offense that hinges on operating a vehicle while the driver is impaired by alcohol or drugs. For most adult drivers, the law uses a clear BAC threshold: if the blood alcohol concentration is 0.08 percent or higher, driving is illegal and charged as DWI. This per-se standard gives law enforcement a definite point at which impairment is presumed for adults, aiming to prevent unsafe driving due to intoxication.

Context helps: BAC stands for blood alcohol concentration, the amount of alcohol in the bloodstream. Impairment can begin well before 0.08, but many jurisdictions set 0.08 as the standard limit for adults. There are exceptions: commercial drivers often have a lower limit (commonly 0.04), and those under 21 typically face zero tolerance or a much lower threshold. Also, some cases are charged as DWI if the driver is impaired to the point of unsafe operation even below 0.08, depending on the jurisdiction.

The other options don’t fit because DWI isn’t triggered just by having a drink, nor by any amount of alcohol in the system for adults, and it isn’t about weather conditions.