DWAI stands for which of the following?

• A. Driving While Impaired by Alcohol
• B. Driving While Intoxicated
• C. Driving With A BAC 0.08
• D. Driving While Ability Impaired

Answer: (D)

DWAI stands for Driving While Ability Impaired. It’s the New York offense for operating a vehicle when your ability to drive is impaired by alcohol or drugs, but not at the level that meets the Driving While Intoxicated standard. This matters because DWAI covers impairment below the DWI threshold, which for alcohol is typically a lower BAC range (the driver is impaired even if not at 0.08%), while DWI is charged when the driver is intoxicated at or above the legal limit. The option describing a BAC of 0.08% corresponds to DWI, not DWAI, and the phrase about being impaired by alcohol isn’t the exact official expansion. So the correct interpretation is Driving While Ability Impaired.