Dangers of Drunk Driving

• Driving after consuming alcohol poses a serious threat.
• Despite over 90% of drivers acknowledging this, about 15% admit to driving after drinking in the past month.
• Driving after drinking is illegal for anyone under 21 in all 50 states.
• Anyone who has been drinking should not drive.
• Alcohol is involved in nearly one-third of all motor vehicle-related deaths.
• Drinking and driving significantly increases the risk of being involved in a crash.
• Annually, over 10,000 people die and more than 1 million are injured in alcohol-related crashes.
• About half of those killed in alcohol-related crashes were not the ones who had been drinking.

The Odds of Crashing (150-pound Male)

• One to two drinks nearly doubles the risk of a crash.
• Three to four drinks increases the risk three to seven times.
• Five to six drinks increases the risk 13 to 20 times.
• Seven to eight drinks increases the risk 55 to 85 times.

BAC and Risk

• The greater the blood alcohol concentration (BAC), the greater the risk of a fatal crash.
• Young drivers (16-19) with a BAC of 0.02%-0.05% are at least seven times more likely to be killed in a crash than a sober driver of any age.
• At a BAC of 0.085%, young drivers are 40 times more likely to be killed than a sober driver.
• A young driver with a BAC of 0.085% are also 20 times more likely to be killed than a 55-year-old driver at the same BAC level.
• At 0.12% BAC, a 16-19 year old is 90 times more likely to die in a motor vehicle crash than a sober driver

Increased Risk for Young Drivers

• An equal amount of alcohol typically has a greater effect on a younger person.
• Limited experience in both driving and drinking makes young drivers especially vulnerable to fatal outcomes after drinking alcohol.
• Even a small amount of alcohol can impair a young driver's newly learned skills.

How Alcohol Affects the Body and Driving Ability

• Pure alcohol is a clear, odorless, depressant drug.
• Alcohol slows and impairs the central nervous system.
• It is quickly and directly absorbed into the bloodstream without being digested.
• Alcohol affects thinking, muscle control, and behavior when it reaches the brain.

Alcohol and The Brain

• The brain is the first part of the body affected by alcohol.
• The part of the brain that allows you to think clearly and make good decisions is most impacted.
• Alcohol's sedative effects impair judgment.
• The part of the brain that controls social inhibitions is affected, causing people to say and do things they wouldn't normally do.
• These effects start with just one drink.

Alcohol and Muscle Control

• Muscle control is affected by alcohol, especially the small muscles in the eye.
• Vision can be significantly affected even at low alcohol levels.

Effects of Alcohol on Vision

• Visual acuity (sharpness of vision) can be blurred by alcohol.
• Peripheral vision (side vision) decreases as BAC rises.
• Color distinction is reduced by alcohol.
• Night vision is decreased by alcohol, which reduces the eyes' ability to regulate light.
• Distance judgment is impaired by alcohol.
• Focus becomes slower, making it difficult to see things clearly in time to respond.
• Loss of balance and slurring of speech also indicate impaired muscle control.

Alcohol and Behavior (150-Pound Person, Beer (12 ounces))

• After one drink (BAC 0.02%-0.03%), inhibitions are lowered, and judgment begins to be affected.
• Risky behaviors are more likely, and coordination may be affected.
• After two drinks (BAC 0.04%-0.05%), reaction time will be slower.
• A person may appear more relaxed and friendly than usual.
• After three drinks (BAC 0.06%-0.07%), judgment is not sound.
• People may say or do rude or unreasonable things.
• After four drinks (BAC 0.08%-0.09%), hearing, speech, vision, and balance are adversely affected.
• People may have difficulty pronouncing words, and focusing on moving objects becomes more difficult.
• After five drinks (BAC 0.10%-0.11%), most behaviors are affected.

Extreme Consumption

• After five drinks, body parts do not seem to work together correctly, and speech is often slurred.
• Performing tasks requiring hand and feet use is difficult.
• After 12 drinks (BAC approximately 0.30%), coma or deep sleep can occur.
• If the blood-alcohol level reaches 0.40%, the person can be in a deep coma and near death.

Amount of Alcohol in Typical Beverages

• The total amount of alcohol depends on the type and size of the alcoholic beverage.

Beer (Regular)

• Regular beer (5% alcohol) contains 0.6 ounce of pure alcohol in a 12-ounce serving.
• A 16-ounce serving would contain 0.8 ounce of pure alcohol.

Beer (Light)

• Light beer (4% alcohol) contains 0.48 ounce of pure alcohol in a 12-ounce serving.

Beer (Higher Strength)

• Some beers contain 6.5% alcohol.
• The amount corresponds .78 ounce of pure alcohol in a 12-ounce serving.

Wine

• A 5-ounce serving of wine (12% alcohol) contains 0.6 ounce of alcohol.

Whiskey

• A 1.5-ounce serving of whiskey (80-proof/40% alcohol) contains 0.6 ounce of alcohol.
• To compute alcohol percentage from proof, divide the proof in half.

Mixed Drinks

• To determine the amount of pure alcohol in a mixed drink, add together the amounts of pure alcohol in each ingredient.
• A margarita with 1.5 oz of 80 proof tequila and 0.5 oz of 60 proof triple sec has a total of 0.75 oz of alcohol.

Considerations

• Beers might not seem as strong as other alcoholic beverages, but they are strong enough to intoxicate drivers.
• After 1-2 drinks, beverage differences seems small.
• The differences can become substantial. The type of beverage affects BAC.
• The actual amount of alcohol in prepared drinks can be higher depending on drink preparation.
• Some alcoholic beverages have higher alcohol concentrations.

Factors That Affect BAC Level

• The factors affecting BAC include gender, body weight, strength of the drink, size of the drink, food in the stomach, and time spent drinking.
• Gender differences in BAC exist because women produce less alcohol dehydrogenase, leading to about 20% higher BAC than men.
• Weight affects the percentage of alcohol in blood, with heavier people having lower BAC.

More Factors

• The stronger the drink, the higher the BAC.
• Larger drinks result in higher BAC.
• Food slows alcohol absorption without preventing that alcohol from entering the bloodstream.
• The faster someone consumes alcohol, the quicker BAC increases.

Alcohol Elimination

• Once alcohol enters the bloodstream, the body takes steps to remove it.

Methods of Elimination

• Breathing eliminates approximately 8% of alcohol.
• Perspiration eliminates about 2% of alcohol.
• Oxidation within the liver eliminates the majority (90%) of alcohol.

BAC and Time

• Only time helps a person sober up.
• The body takes between 1 1/4 and 1 1/2 hours or longer to eliminate alcohol from one standard-sized drink.
• Ending drinking requires 30 minutes to measure because alcohol will be absorbed in that time.
• The average elimination rate is 0.015% per hour.

Preventing Drinking and Driving

• Your safest option is to simply not drink alcohol.
• You should not ride with a driver who has been drinking.
• Choose a driver who is 100% sober.
• Any amount of alcohol impairs driving ability.
• It is illegal for anyone under age 21 to consume alcohol.