But it’s very important to keep in mind that the ability to
drive is affected well below a BAC of
0.10
percent.
Research shows that the driving skills
of
many people
are impaired at a BAC approaching
0.05
percent, and
that the effects are worse at night. All drivers are
impaired at BAC levels above
0.05
percent. Statistics
show that the chance
of
being in an accident increases
sharply for drivers who have
a
BAC of
0.05
percent or
above.
A
driver with a BAC level
of
0.06
percent (three
beers in one hour for
a
180-pound or
82
kg person) has
doubled his or her chance of having an accident. At a
BAC level of
0.10
percent, the chance of that driver
having an accident is six times greater; at a level
of
0.15
percent, the chances are twenty-five times greater! And,
the body takes about an hour
to
rid itself
of
the alcohol
in one drink.
No
amount of coffee or number
of
cold
showers will speed that up.
“I’ll
be
careful” isn’t the right answer. What if there’s an
emergency, a need
to
take sudden action, as when a
child darts into the street? A person with a higher BAC
might not be able
to
react quickly enough
to
avoid the
collision.
There’s something else about drinking and driving that
many people don’t know. Medical research shows that
alcohol in
a
person’s system can make crash injuries
worse. That’s especially true for brain, spinal cord and
heart injuries. That means that if anyone who has been
drinking
--
driver
or
passenger
--
is
in
a crash, the
chance of being killed or permanently disabled is higher
than if that person had not been drinking. And we’ve
already seen that the chance
of
a crash itself is higher for
drinking drivers.
A
CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, and judgment
will
be
affected
by
even
a
small
amount
of alcohol. You”
could have
a
serious
-
or
even fatal
--
accident
If
you drive after drinking.
Please
don’t drink and
drive
or
ride with a driver
who
has
been drinking.
Ride home in
a
cab;
or
if
you’re
with
a group,
designate
a
driver who
will
not drink.
0
157
To Next Page
Loading...
