A person who drives drunk somehow convinces himself or herself that nothing will happen, or that they are competent to drive however, the statistics show otherwise. Motor vehicle wrecks are the leading cause of death in the United States for persons under age 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those deaths, more than 40 percent are alcohol-related. About 3 in every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives. An alcohol-related motor vehicle crash kills someone every 30 minutes and injures someone every 2 minutes.
Effects of Alcohol
Consuming alcohol can severely affect cognitive and psychomotor skills needed for the safe operation of a motor vehicle. Impairment is related to alcohol in terms of its concentration in the bloodstream. For reference, a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.04 percent might be achieved by a 150-pound man consuming two drinks in 1 hour.
The brain's control of eye movements is highly vulnerable to alcohol. In driving, the eyes must focus briefly on important objects in the visual field and track them as they (and the vehicle) move. Low to moderate BAC's (0.03 to 0.05 percent) interfere with voluntary eye movements, impairing the eye's ability to rapidly track a moving target.
Steering is a complex psychomotor task in which alcohol effects on eye-to-hand reaction time are superimposed upon the visual effects described above. Significant impairment in steering ability may begin as low as approximately 0.035 percent BAC and rises as BAC increases.
Alcohol impairs nearly every aspect of information processing by the brain. Alcohol-impaired drivers require more time to read a street sign or to respond to a traffic signal than unimpaired drivers; consequently, they tend to look at fewer sources of information. Research on the effects of alcohol on performance by both auto-mobile and aircraft operators shows a narrowing of the attentional field beginning at approximately 0.04 percent BAC.
The most sensitive aspect of driving performance is the division of attention among component skills. Drivers must m aintain their vehicles in the proper lane and direction (a tracking task) while monitoring the environment for vital safety information, such as other vehicles, traffic signals, and pedestrians. Alcohol-impaired subjects who are required to divide their attention between two tasks tend to favor one of them. Therefore, alcohol-impaired drivers tend to concentrate on steering, becoming less vigilant with respect to safety information. Results of numerous studies indicate that divided attention deficits occur as low as 0.02 percent BAC. At .08 BAC (the point at which one is legally drunk in California), a driver is 11 times more likely than the non-drinking driver to be involved in a crash.
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Sobering Facts
AAA of Southern California dispels some of the myths concerning one's belief in being okay to drive after a few drinks:
| Myth: A cold shower, sleep, food, or a cup of coffee will sober you up. | Fact: Time is the only factor in the elimination of alcohol from the body. |
| Myth: Beer and wine are less intoxicating than liquor. | Fact: It depends on how much you drink of each. A 12 oz. beer and a 5 oz. glass of wine contain the same amount of alcohol and the same potential for intoxication as 1.5 oz. of liquor. |
| Myth: Everyone can drink one drink per hour without getting drunk. | Fact: No two people metabolize alcohol at the exact same rate. Your gender, body weight, metabolism, and drink size can all affect your blood-alcohol level. |
| Myth: As long as my blood alcohol level is under 0.08%, I’m ok to drive. | Fact: You can be convicted of impaired driving with a blood-alcohol level lower than 0.08%. Not to mention, just one drink can impair your judgment and motor skills and you could cause a crash or worse—injure or kill someone. |
| Myth: I drink all the time, so I can drink more without getting drunk. | Fact: Some of those who drink frequently may have a higher tolerance to the behavioral effects of alcohol consumption, but their blood alcohol level would be affected just the same. And some who drink heavily will have enhanced reactions to alcohol. |
Source: AAA of Southern California
The cost of driving drunk
First and foremost, the highest possible cost of drunk driving is your life or someone else's. Aside from that, your pocketbook will definitely take a hit for a DUI conviction. AAA of Southern California estimates that a first-time DUI conviction can easily exceed $12,000 in fines, penalties, restitution, legal fees and added insurance expenses.
Estimated Costs for a first misdemeanor DUI conviction in California | |
| Fines (minimum) | $ 468 |
| Penalties (minimum) ** | $ 780 |
| Tow/Impound Fee | $ 187 |
| Alcohol Education Class | $ 500 |
| Auto Insurance Increase * | $ 8,652 |
| Restitution Fund | $ 100 |
| Attorney and Legal Fees (fees will vary) | $ 2,500 |
| DMV license reissue fee | $ 125 |
| Booking, fingerprinting and photo fee | $ 156 |
| Total | $13,468 |
| * Based on premium increases over ten years for a male motorist with 9 years driving experience. ** Penalties vary by county from $663 to $858. The most typical cost is $780. | |
These costs do not include the value of lost work time/wages, medical expenses, vehicle or other property damage expenses, the cost of installing an ignition lock device (in LA County), other court fines and cost of public transportation if your license is suspended.
A conviction will also cost you your time. According to the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, you may be ordered to spend anywhere from 2 days to 2 years in jail or performing community service. You must also attend a DUI treatment program from 3 to 30 months. In addition your driver's license will be restricted or suspended for 4 months to 5 years.
Tips on recognizing and reporting a drunk driver:
How to spot a possible drunk driver:
- Quick acceleration or deceleration
- Tailgating
- Weaving or zig-zagging across the road
- Driving anywhere other than on a road designated for vehicles
- Almost striking an object, curb, or vehicle
- Stopping without cause or erratic braking
- Drifting in and out of traffic lanes
- Signaling that is inconsistent with driving actions
- Slow response to traffic signals (e.g. sudden stop or delayed start)
- Straddling the center lane marker
- Driving with headlights off at night
- Swerving
- Driving slower than 10 mph below the speed limit
- Turning abruptly or illegally
- Driving into opposing traffic on the wrong side of the road.
What to do if you see a drunk driver:
First, stay as far away from the other vehicle as possible.
Second, do not try to pass the vehicle or signal the driver to pull over. Doing so could result in a collision.
Third, take notice of the license plate number of the driver along with details of the vehicle including make, model and color. However, make sure you don’t compromise your own safety trying to obtain this information.
Finally, pull over and call 911. Give the exact location of the vehicle, including the name of the road or cross streets and the direction the vehicle is traveling. Give a complete description of the vehicle and the manner in which the vehicle is being driven.
Source: http://maad.org/
Recommendations for safe drinking
The Los Angeles County Sherrif's Department offers these tips for helping to reduce the risk of over consumption:
At a party:
• Respect 21 – never serve alcohol to someone under the legal drinking age and don’t ask a minor to serve you alcohol.
• Determine ahead of time when you'll stop serving alcohol, such as one hour before the end of the party or at the end of the third quarter of
the game (just like in NFL stadiums) and begin serving coffee and dessert.
• Serve plenty of food throughout the day.
• Offer a variety of non-alcoholic choices like soft drinks, juice, and water.
• Serve one drink at a time and serve measured drinks.
• Find ways to recognize designated drivers at your party as special guests:
Give them a great spot to watch the game; make sure their glass is always full of whatever non-alcoholic drink they're having; let them have first pass at the buffet table; make sure their cars are easy to access when it is time to start driving people home.
• Be ready to step in and stop serving someone who has had too much.
• Be prepared for guests to spend the night if an alternative way home is not available.
If you’re traveling to a local bar, restaurant or other public venue:
• Find ways to recognize designated drivers when you are out at a bar or restaurant:
• Offer to be the designated driver the next time you go out; cover the cost for parking or even paying for a tank of gas; pick up the tab for their food and drink. Say thank you.
Tipsy Tow for the holidays
Statistics show that traffic-related fatalities increase significantly around the holidays. AAA's Tipsy Tow program offers free rides to drivers who have been drinking. The service is available to non-members as well as members and can transport you and your vehicle up to seven miles from the point of pickup. This service is limited to certain dates and times around a few holidays (July 4th and New Year's Eve) check back on their website for details, or call (800) 400-4AAA [4222].
Sources:
http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/drive/a/aa070297.htm
http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/alerts/l/blnaa25.htm
http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/drive/a/aa070297.htm
http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/alerts/l/blnaa25.htm
– R. Nelson | Updated 20:06 Mon 30 May 2011
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