Around one-third of all auto accident fatalities in the United States involve drivers impaired by alcohol. The numbers are even higher in Europe – In the EU as a whole, around 2-3% of journeys are associated with an illegal Blood Alcohol Limit (BAC), resulting in 30-40% of driver deaths (ESCAPE 2003, ETSC 2003).
These accidents led to 10,322 deaths in US in 2012 alone and were attributed to a driver with an illegal blood-alcohol concentration (Source: NHTSA). 65% were drivers, 27% were occupants of the vehicle and 8% were non-occupants, with an average of one person dying in a drunk driving accident every 51 minutes.
The majority of those deaths could’ve been avoided if the drivers involved simply hadn’t gotten behind the wheel while drunk.
How does alcohol affect your judgement when driving?
Alcohol is a depressant, therefore it slows down the central nervous system, including the brain.
This reaction to the central nervous system can result in a number of impairments that affect the way you drive and can lead to car accidents.
Even mild alcohol intoxication can influence the brain’s ability to multi-task, reduce reaction time and affect motor skills and coordination.
Alcohol can make drivers feel over-confident, which can cause them to make risky decisions on the road.
At higher levels, alcohol causes impaired vision, slurred speech and even loss of consciousness. Many drunk drivers fall asleep at the wheel and change lanes unknowingly or veer off the road and the consequences are fatal.
What are the implications if you drive drunk?
By choosing to drive drunk you are putting multiple lives at risk – your life, the lives of your passengers and the lives of everyone you come across when driving.
It’s a terrible idea and poor judgment to put your keys into your ignition and drive away after drinking. This YouTube video shows some of the effects of drink driving http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8I2osmVVPY
Drunk driving is also a crime. In the U.S, illegal blood-alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 or higher can result in loss of license, jail time and federally mandated alcohol programs.
Making safer decisions around drinking and driving
There is always a better option to avoid driving drunk. A standard drink affects people differently dependent on gender, alcohol strength and serving size – you never know exactly what effect will it cause on you.
If you’ve been drinking, ask a sober friend for a ride home or call a cab.
Is drinking and driving more important than your life or criminal status? The mild inconvenience of taking a cab home is nothing compared to the disastrous consequences of driving drunk.
Debunking the myths
On average, the liver breaks down alcohol a little less than one standard drink per hour. Before you even consider driving, you should wait at least an hour for each standard drink you’ve had. But keep in mind that it is an average, which means for some the process is faster, for some much slower… My advice – that evening – don’t drink at all!
Unfortunately, coffee, fresh air, energy drinks and showers do not reduce blood-alcohol concentration.
The answer to this problem does not just lie with law enforcement and penalties, but with each and every person to make a responsible decision and choose not to drink and drive.
The simplest solution is also the easiest – ultimately, don’t drink before you drive.
You should also keep in mind that even if you had a few drinks, but you drive slowly… What if someone smashes into your car? Even if he’s the one who caused the accident, you’ll be the one blamed for it because you have alcohol in your blood!
