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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 twelve times
greater; at a level of 0.15 percent, the chance is twenty-five 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'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
even a moderate 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, 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.
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