New York DMV Permit Written TestAlcohol and Drug LawsMedium
A driver is attending a party and consumes 4 standard alcoholic drinks over a two-hour period. Approximately how much time would it take for their body to eliminate all the alcohol from these drinks?
- A6 hours
- B4 hours
- C2 hours
- D8 hours
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. 6 hours
The body typically metabolizes alcohol at a rate of about one standard drink per hour. For 4 standard drinks, it would take approximately 4 hours to eliminate the alcohol. The 2-hour consumption period doesn't change the elimination rate, only when the process starts for the last drink.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. This would be correct if they had only 4 drinks in total and the elimination started immediately for all, but the body processes one drink per hour.
- C. This is the consumption time, not the elimination time.
- D. This would be an overestimate for 4 drinks.
Alcohol Elimination Rate
The human body metabolizes and eliminates alcohol at a relatively constant rate, typically around one standard alcoholic drink per hour, regardless of how quickly the alcohol was consumed.
- Approximately 1 standard drink per hour.
- Rate is largely constant; cannot be sped up.
- Time starts from consumption, not necessarily end of drinking.
Memory trick: One drink, one hour, one way out.