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But 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 a collision increases sharply for
drivers who have a BAC of 0.05 percent or above.
A driver with a BAC level of 0.06 percent has
doubled his or her chance of having a collision.
At a BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance of this
driver having a collision is 12 times greater; at a
level of 0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times
greater!
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 will be careful” is not the right answer. What if
there is an emergency, a need to take sudden
action, as when a child darts into the street?
A person with even a moderate BAC might not
be able to react quickly enough to avoid the
collision.
There is something else about drinking and driving
that many people do not know. Medical research
shows that alcohol in a person’s system can
make crash injuries worse, especially injuries
to the brain, spinal cord, or heart. This means that
when anyone who has been drinking — driver
or passenger — is in a crash, that person’s chance
of being killed or permanently disabled is higher
than if the person had not been drinking.
{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reflexes, perceptions,
attentiveness, and judgment can be
affected by even a small amount of
alcohol. You can have a serious — or
even fatal — collision if you drive after
drinking. Please do not drink and drive
or ride with a driver who has been
drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if you
are with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink.
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