Having a few drinks and then being pulled over for DUI in the United States is a serious offense. DUI laws in countries around the world vary, with some imposing zero tolerance laws and others setting different BAC levels.

Countries without tolerance do not allow alcohol in the driver’s blood. If the driver has alcohol in his system, he will be arrested for DUI. These countries include Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, the United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, and Brazil.

Canada gives its border patrol agents the right to deny entry to the country if a person has been convicted of DUI. If the driver had a BAC greater than 0.08 percent, law enforcement authorities consider that level to be sufficient to convict them of DUI.

The countries belonging to the European Union are very hard on drunk drivers. Of these countries, Sweden considers a BAC of .02 percent to be affected. Most of the remaining countries have established a baseline of 0.05 percent.

Asian countries like China punish drunk drivers with license suspension and jail time. Compared to the US, China has set its legal intoxication limit at 0.02 percent. In Central Asia, Turkmenistan set its BAC at 0.033 percent, while Mongolia set its level at 0.02 percent. Kyrgyzstan has set a level of .05. In South Asia, BAC levels range from prohibited to .06 percent. BAC levels in Southeast Asian countries range from no limit to 0.08 percent.

If a driver with a DUI conviction of less than 10 years tries to enter Mexico, they will be denied entry. Even if the DUI took place and was prosecuted in another country, Mexico considers the foreign alcohol use, the DUI, and the conviction to be indictable offenses.

Canada’s DUI laws are established province by province. In most provinces, the legal BAC limit is .05 percent. In Prince Edward Island, drivers under the age of 19 with a BAC greater than .01 must pay a fine of $500. Quebec is stricter with new drivers. If they have a BAC greater than .00, their licenses are immediately suspended for 15 days. Upon conviction, their licenses are suspended for three months.

DUI laws in the European Union have BAC levels ranging from zero to .08 percent. Zero means below detectable limits. Finland routinely performs breath tests even without probable cause. Denmark fines its drunk drivers one month they pay less taxes. In Germany, drunk drivers trying to get their licenses back must successfully undergo a psychological medical evaluation. Ireland imposed a two-year driving ban along with a €1,500 fine. Poland’s BAC level is .02 percent. Drunk drivers are banned from driving for six months to three years, with a prison sentence of one month.

In the UK, driving while intoxicated can land a driver behind bars for six months. You may have to pay a £5,000 fine. You will also be banned from driving for a minimum of 12 months. A DUI conviction remains on the driver’s record for 11 years. If a drunk driver causes a death while under the influence, he will be jailed for up to 14 years and receive a minimum two-year driving ban. He will also have to pass an extended driving test before regaining his driving privileges.

Drunk drivers in the UK can successfully argue against losing driving privileges due to emergencies. Circumstances they can use include emergencies, the short distance they drove under the influence and unknowingly drank a mixed drink and then drove.

Drivers from the United States who plan to travel to another country should educate themselves on DUI laws before leaving this country. Foreign judges will not go easy on a driver because he does not know the law.