Promil calculator

You can calculate your blood alcohol concentration yourself using the Watson formula. First, you need to determine the pure alcohol of your drink, and then you can determine the approximate alcohol level you have.

To calculate the pure alcohol, you simply have to multiply the size of your drink by the Vol-%/ 100 and multiply this value by 0.8. This will give you the grams of pure alcohol you are consuming when you drink the beverage. Here are a few examples:

- In a half liter of beer with 5 per mille there are 500 ml x (5/100) x 0.8 = 20 grams of pure alcohol.

- In a 0.2 l wine glass with 11% there are 200 ml x (11/100) x 0.8 = 17.6 grams of pure alcohol.

- In a shot glass (4 cl) of 40% vodka, there are 40 ml x (40/100) x 0.8 = 12.8 grams of pure alcohol.

If you know the pure alcohol content of your drink, you can deduce your alcohol level from it. To do this, simply divide the pure alcohol content by your body fluid in kg. The body fluid is about 60% for women and 70% for men.

So if a woman weighs 60 kg and drinks a standard glass of wine (0.1 l), her alcohol level is: 10 g/ (60 x 0.6) = 0.28 per mille.

A 75 kg man, after the same consumption, has a value of 10g/ (75 x 0.7) = 0.19 per mille.

The blood alcohol concentration decreases by 0.1 to 0.2 per mille per hour, primarily because the liver breaks down the alcohol. The woman from the example is therefore back at zero after 1.5 - 3 hours, the man after 1 - 2 hours. By the way, the breakdown of alcohol cannot be accelerated - neither by soft drinks nor by fresh air, walking or dancing.

If the calculations sound too complicated for you, you can easily calculate your blood alcohol level with an online alcohol calculator, e.g. this one. It will tell you how much alcohol you have and when you're expected to be sober again. This can help you decide which mode of transportation should be your means of choice.

Alcohol on the road

Alcohol in road traffic is (partly) responsible for 4.5% of accidents with personal injury. Alcohol leads to a reduced ability to react, coordinate and concentrate and can therefore have dangerous consequences in road traffic. In order not to endanger oneself, but also not to pose a danger to other people, it is important to adhere to the legal requirements. Decisions are made according to age, driving experience and vehicle.

0,0 Promil

For all novice drivers in their first two years of driving and for all persons under 21 years of age, the rule is: no drinking and driving. Traffic accidents occur with above-average frequency among novice drivers and young people. The aim of the regulation is therefore to protect those groups of people who are particularly at risk. Drivers often have a high level of responsibility not only for themselves, but also for other passengers. The rule is therefore not intended to spoil young people's fun, but to save lives.

0,3 Promil

The following applies to all novice drivers in their first two years of driving and to anyone under the age of 21: No drinking and driving. Traffic accidents occur with above-average frequency among novice drivers and young people. The aim of the regulation is therefore to protect these particularly vulnerable groups of people. Drivers often have a high level of responsibility not only for themselves but also for other passengers. The regulation is therefore not intended to spoil young people's fun, but to save lives.

0,5 Promil

From 0.5 per mille, driving a motor vehicle is considered a misdemeanor. It does not matter whether it is a moped, motorcycle or car and whether alcohol-related conspicuousness occurs or not. If you are caught doing so, this will result in a driving ban and a fine. If the per mill value is between 0.5 and 1.09 per mill, one can expect a 500 € fine, 1 month driving ban and 2 points in Flensburg. By the way, the same rules that apply to cars also apply to e-scooters and e-bikes!

1,1 Promil

Anyone caught driving with a blood alcohol level of 1.1 or more can expect a variety of negative consequences. Because from this value onwards, it is considered a criminal offense, as there is an "absolute inability to drive". This can result in fines, suspension of the driver's license and points in Flensburg. Anyone with a blood alcohol level of 1.1 or more should therefore leave their car at home.

1,6 Promil

There is also a limit for cyclists. Anyone caught riding a bicycle with a blood alcohol level of 1.6 per mille or more will receive points in Flensburg and a fine, as it is a criminal offense above this level. Also the attendance of a medical-psychological examination is obligatory from this promillwert (independently of the vehicle). You can see how a blood alcohol level of 1.6 affects driving behavior, coordination and reaction time in the PULS self-test video. So if you are unsure in the future what your blood alcohol level is, the smartest thing to do is to faithfully follow the motto "If you love your bike, push it".