The startling results of a CTV News sobriety test have some critics saying that B.C. needs to go even further when it comes to preventing drunk driving.
Veteran RCMP Const. Glen Porter supervised a breathalyzer test this week on three people over an evening of pizza, cards and drinks.
The results were surprising -- it took much more alcohol to get one member of the trio legally impaired than might be expected.
Two members of the group -- a man and a woman -- had predictable results. After four drinks in two hours, the woman blew over .05, the legal "warn" zone, while the man required a few more drinks.
But Carl's reading was surprising. He had consumed eight drinks in two hours, and blew just .033, well below the "warn" zone of .05.
When he was asked if he felt sober enough to drive, the answer was a definite "no."
That's why critics say B.C.'s new anti-drunk-driving laws don't go far enough.
"The limit should be zero, as it is for new drivers. It should be zero. If you're going to drink, you should not drive," emergency room physician Dr. Bruce Campana told CTV News.
A person's age, weight, height and gender are all factors in how easily a person can become impaired.
"Have you been taking cold medicines, have you taken a sedative, have you take Gravol for nausea? All of those things make a difference," Campana said.
A study from the Canadian Criminal Law Review shows that just two drinks could be too many.
A person's ability to concentrate is affected once their blood-alcohol level is .03. According to the study, after two drinks, the average 130-pound woman will register .04 after two drinks, while an 185-pound man will blow .036.
That's why police are saying that if you drink anything, don't risk getting behind the wheel.
"As long as there is alcohol in their body, and the effects of the alcohol are impairing their fine motor skills and their cognitive abilities to operate a motor vehicle in a safe manner, they can still be charged with impaired driving," said RCMP Sgt. Dave Savoy.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's St. John Alexander