Dfl how does alcohol impact driving

Key words: drinking and driving; epidemiological indicators; AODR alcohol and other drug related accident mortality; traffic accident; impaired driver; risk factors; BAC; seat belt; driver performance; license control, age of AODU alcohol and other drug use onset; law enforcement; trend; deterrence of AODU; gender differences; racial differences; age differences.

Despite reductions in alcohol—related traffic fatalities since the early s, alcohol remained a factor in 41 percent of the traffic deaths recorded in the United States in This article examines the epidemiology of alcohol—related crashes, injuries, and deaths; characteristics of alcohol—related fatalities, fatal crashes, and drivers in alcohol—related fatal crashes; alcohol dependence and alcohol—related crashes; survey data on self—reported drinking and driving; and trends in drinking and driving.

According to NHTSA, 41 percent of people fatally injured in traffic crashes were in alcohol—related crashes i. Of the total number of people injured in traffic crashes, 9 percent were injured in alcohol—related crashes , out of 2,, For more information on BAC and fatal crashes, see the sidebar below.

The proportion of alcohol to blood in the body is referred to as the blood alcohol concentration BAC. What follows is a brief description of how these processes affect BAC measurement and the consequences of BACs for driving. Absorption and Distribution. When alcohol is consumed, it passes from the stomach and intestines and is absorbed into the bloodstream. Law enforcement agencies primarily use breath testing, but they often convert breath—test results to equivalent blood alcohol measurements, because early drunk driving laws based their limits on blood tests National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA] In cases of alcohol—related traffic fatalities, however, blood testing must be used to estimate alcohol levels.

In the United States, blood alcohol measurements are based on the amount of alcohol, by weight, in a set volume of blood. For example, a BAC of 0. This translates, by weight, to a proportion of just under 1 gram of alcohol for every 1, grams of blood in the body Jones and Pounder Breakdown in the Body. Within a few seconds after ingestion, alcohol reaches the liver, which begins to break it down, or metabolize it.

The human body metabolizes alcohol much more slowly than it absorbs alcohol, so the concentration in the body increases when the person consumes additional drinks before earlier drinks have been metabolized. Factors that influence BAC during and after drinking a given amount of alcohol include age, gender, the proportion of body mass made up by fatty tissue, and whether food is eaten with the alcoholic beverage.

Although individual rates can vary, on average, a —pound man who has four drinks in an hour on an empty stomach, or a —pound woman who has three drinks under similar conditions, would reach a BAC of 0.

Consequence: Crash Risk. In , 84 percent of the drivers who had been drinking and were involved in fatal crashes had BACs at or above 0. Most States have established a BAC of 0. A number of studies have identified how the physiologic responses needed for safe driving are impaired beginning at BACs of 0. Experimental laboratory studies have reported on the physical deficits experienced with a 0. These deficits include:. Reduced peripheral vision.

Poorer recovery from glare. Poor performance in complex visual tracking. Reduced divided attention performance i. Driver simulation and road course studies have revealed poorer parking performance, poorer driver performance at slow speeds, and steering inaccuracy at BACs of 0.

Roadside observational studies have identified increased deterioration of speeding and breaking performance Damkot et al. Finally, in a comparison of alcohol test results, Zador found that each 0.

This study examined alcohol test results of drivers killed in single—vehicle fatal crashes and compared these results with breath alcohol samples provided by 2, drivers stopped in the same States as part of a national roadside survey of drivers.

To match driver fatalities to the roadside breath—testing exposure, the crash times, days, and roadway types were restricted to those used in the survey of drivers. The study found that, for all age and gender groupings, the likelihood of being a fatally injured driver was at least 9 times greater at BACs of 0. For each 0. This study was recently updated Zador et al. Alcohol test results from drivers stopped in the National Roadside Survey of weekend nighttime drivers were compared with the alcohol involvement of drivers in weekend nighttime single—vehicle fatal crashes, as determined by NHTSA for and Relative to nondrinking drivers, drivers in all age and gender groups examined who had BACs between 0.

Male drivers age 16 to 20 with 0. Driver's blood alcohol concentration BAC in this range:. Multiplies the chances of being killed in a single—vehicle crash increase by:. For males. For females. Ages 16— In addition, a recent review of studies provided strong evidence that impairment in driving skills begins with any departure from zero BAC Moskowitz and Fiorentino The majority of studies reported impairment by 0. The authors concluded that virtually all drivers tested in the studies reviewed exhibited impairment on some critical driving measure by the time they reached a BAC of 0.

Evidence regarding driving impairment at BACs of 0. Currently 44 States have adopted 0. A recent review of 9 studies examining the first 16 States to lower the legal limit from 0. DOT HS—— Washington, DC: U. Department of Transportation, The effects of alcohol on performance. In: Smith, A. Handbook of Human Performance. Health and Performance. London: Academic Press, The effects of alcohol on the cognitive function of males and females and on skills relating to car driving.

Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental 7 2 —, Measuring blood—alcohol concentration for clinical and forensic purposes.

In: Karch, S. Drug Abuse Handbook. Springfield, VA: U. BAC Estimator [computer program]. Traffic Safety Facts Alcohol. Reviews of evidence regarding interventions to reduce alcohol—impaired driving. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 21 Suppl. Effects of low to moderate doses of ethanol on human driving—related performance. In: Crow, K. Human Metabolism of Alcohol. Pharmacokinetics, Medicolegal Aspects, and General Interests.

Alcohol—related relative risk of fatal driver injuries in relation to driver age and sex. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 52 4 —, Alcohol—related relative risk of driving fatalities and driver impairment in fatal crashes in relation to driver age and gender: An update using data.

Journal of Studies on Alcohol —, Traffic crashes are more likely to result in death or injury if alcohol is involved. Of all alcohol—related crashes in , 4 percent resulted in a death, and 42 percent in an injury.

In contrast, of the crashes that did not involve alcohol, 0. Many people other than drinking drivers are killed in crashes involving drinking drivers. Overall in , 44 percent of those who died in traffic crashes involving a drinking driver with a BAC of 0.

In , children younger than age 16 died in crashes involving drinking drivers. Characteristics of Alcohol—Related Fatalities. Males are more likely than females to be involved in alcohol—related fatal crashes. In , 78 percent of people killed in alcohol—related crashes including drivers, passengers, and pedestrians were male. Forty—six percent of male traffic deaths are alcohol related, compared with 29 percent of female traffic deaths. Traffic deaths among elderly people and children are less likely to be alcohol related than those among young and middle—aged adults.

As shown in table 1, only 15 percent of traffic deaths among adults age 65 and over were alcohol related, compared with 23 percent of traffic deaths among children under age 16, 37 percent among 16— to 20—year—olds, 57 percent among 21— to 29—year—olds, 53 percent among 30— to 45—year—olds, and 38 percent among 46— to 64—year—olds.

Alcohol—related traffic deaths are more likely to occur at lower BACs among 16— to 20—year—olds, compared with other age groups. A majority of alcohol—related traffic deaths among 16— to 20—year—olds occur at below 0. Overall, however, a majority of traffic deaths occur at above 0. Percentage alcohol—involved. Number alcohol—involved.

Total fatalities. Only 17 percent of alcohol—related traffic fatalities in this age group occurred at BACs of 0. Among 21— to 29—year—olds, 34 percent of alcohol—related fatal crashes occurred at BACs of at least 0. The FARS does not routinely record the race and ethnicity of people who die in motor vehicle crashes.

However, from to a special initiative linked nearly , records from FARS with death certificate information on race and ethnicity from the National Bureau of Health Statistics Voas and Tippetts Information was available only for people who died in crashes, not drivers who survived fatal crashes.

During that time period, 72 percent of people killed in alcohol—related fatal crashes were White, During the same period, according to the U. Census Bureau, 83 percent of the U.

The proportion of traffic fatalities that were alcohol related varied considerably by race and ethnicity. It should be noted that all alcohol—related traffic deaths are not represented here because the data set does not include traffic deaths from crashes in which the drinking driver survived. Among all groups, 38 percent of traffic deaths were alcohol related. Native Americans had the highest percentage of traffic deaths that were alcohol related 68 percent.

Whites and African Americans had similar proportions 38 percent and 39 percent, respectively. AAPIs had the lowest percentage of alcohol—related traffic deaths of any ethnic group 19 percent. In every racial or ethnic group examined, a higher proportion of male than female deaths were alcohol related. This was true for drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists. Crash Participants and Vehicles.

The percentage of traffic deaths that are alcohol related also varies depending on the role of the person killed in the crash i. In , 41 percent of the drivers killed in crashes were killed in alcohol—related crashes, compared with 37 percent of passenger deaths and 47 percent of pedestrian deaths. Of all pedestrian deaths, 17 percent involved a driver who had been drinking and 38 percent involved a pedestrian who had been drinking.

In 7 percent of pedestrian deaths, both the driver and the pedestrian had been drinking NHTSA f. Though deaths of bicyclists from both crashes with cars and bike accidents not involving cars are much less frequent, 37 percent of them in were alcohol related i. Characteristics of Alcohol—Related Fatal Crashes. As shown in tables 2 and 3, alcohol—related traffic crashes are more likely to occur at night and on weekends. Seventy—seven percent of fatal alcohol—related traffic crashes occurred between p.

More alcohol—related fatal crashes occur on Saturday 24 percent than any other day, followed by Sunday 21 percent and Friday 16 percent. Midnight — a. Noon — p. NOTE: Fatal alcohol-related traffic crashes are more likely to occur at night than during the day.

For example, 77 percent 40 plus 37 of fatal alcohol-related traffic crashes occurred between p. More alcohol—related crashes occur on Saturdays 24 percent than any other day.

The FARS data also provide information on the characteristics of drivers involved in alcohol—related fatal crashes—their age, gender, previous convictions and license suspensions, BAC, and safety belt use. Drivers between the ages of 16 and 20, and especially those ages 21 to 45, are likely to be involved in alcohol—related fatal crashes at a rate that is out of proportion to their percentage of the population.

Although 14 percent of drivers in alcohol—related fatal crashes in were between 16 and 20, this age group represents only 7 percent of the population. Likewise, 49 percent of drivers in alcohol—related fatal crashes were ages 21 to 45, and this age group makes up 35 percent of the population.

License Suspension and Drinking and Driving Conviction. Eight percent of drivers in fatal crashes who had BACs of zero had a suspended license, compared with 19 percent of drivers with BACs between 0. Only a small fraction of drivers in fatal crashes had drinking and driving convictions in the previous 3 years 3.

But of the drivers in alcohol—related fatal crashes, 8. Total drivers in fatal crashes with BAC of 0. This is why discussing your case with a car accident attorney is a smart idea. The sad reality is that drunk drivers surround us as we drive. We may not know that someone just made the careless decision to get behind the wheel drunk until it is too late. A shocking 50 to 75 percent of drivers who lost their license due to a DUI conviction reportedly drive illegally without their license.

Even more shocking are reports from the FBI stating that every day, , people drive drunk in the United States. Of those, only 4, are caught by law enforcement. Experiencing catastrophic injuries due to no fault of your own demands justice. Some car accident attorneys offer free case evaluations. By reviewing your case with a highly skilled attorney, you can learn about your best options for moving forward. Meet with an attorney as soon as possible. The statute of limitations for filing your case imposes a strict timeline for pursuing litigation.

Be sure to gather any evidence, such as photos of the accident scene and contact information for witnesses. This information can greatly assist an attorney in evaluating your case. Drinking and driving is irresponsible and dangerous. Choosing to drive after a few drinks is a personal—and reckless—decision. Having someone you can trust on your side during this difficult time is priceless.

It allows you to focus on your top priorities, such as your health and your family. Drunk drivers are everywhere and until people stop choosing to engage in this irresponsible behavior, we are all at risk. Choose to protect your future by discussing your case with an attorney rather than directly with insurance representatives. You have a right to protect your best interests. If a drunk driver changed your life, be proactive about pursuing possible compensation.

Contact the skilled attorneys at Boohoff Law today. Skip to content Let Us Come To You Our trusted injury attorneys are more than happy to meet you at your home or in the hospital. Set up an appointment. Get Your Free Consultation We offer a free case evaluation so that you are fully informed of your options before you commit to anything.

Begin today! Recent Posts Why Pay a Lawyer? Why People Choose to Drink and Drive Numerous public safety campaigns denounce drinking and driving and promote smarter choices, like calling for a ride.

How Alcohol Affects a Driver Operating a motor vehicle requires certain skills, including the ability to think clearly and react quickly. Consider the following statistics regarding drinking and driving: 20 percent of teens reported riding with an impaired teen driver at least once within the past month; Teens who ride with impaired drivers or who drink underage are more likely to drive impaired; and Teen drivers are less likely to drink and drive than adults, however, when they do, the crash risk is significantly higher.

Common Injuries Caused by Drunk Drivers With an average weight of 4, pounds, a vehicle operated by a drunk driver becomes a dangerous weapon. Here are just a few examples of traumatic injuries that can result from a collision with a drunk driver: Traumatic brain injury TBI — The CDC defines a TBI as a sudden bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or a penetrating head injury that disrupts normal brain function.

Sensory: Monitoring sensation through touch, pressure, temperature, and pain. Autonomic: Regulating digestion, urination, blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature. Why Fair Compensation Matters Insurance company representatives typically prefer to settle cases quickly.

Drunk Drivers Are Everywhere The sad reality is that drunk drivers surround us as we drive. Because drinking alcohol and then driving is so dangerous, the penalties are very tough. People who drive after drinking risk heavy fines, higher insurance rates, loss of license and even jail sentences.

A DUI conviction will remain on your driving record for 75 years. Alcohol reduces all of the important skills necessary to drive safely, such as judgment, reaction, vision and concentration. Alcohol is absorbed into the lining of the stomach and then passes directly into the bloodstream and reaches your brain within minutes after consumption.

Alcohol affects those areas of your brain that control judgment and skill and is one reason why drinking alcohol is so dangerous; it affects your judgment. A person's judgment is the first thing affected after drinking an alcoholic beverage.

Good judgment is important to driving but in this case, judgment helps you to know when to stop drinking. Alcohol puts good judgment on hold. You do not know when you have had too much to drink until it is too late. It is a little like a sunburn, by the time you feel it, it is already too late. Alcohol slows your reflexes and reaction time, reduces your ability to see clearly and makes you less alert. As the amount of alcohol in your body increases, your judgment worsens and your skills decrease.

You will have trouble judging distances, speeds and the movement of other vehicles. You will also have trouble controlling your vehicle. The best advice is, if you drink alcohol, do not drive. Even one drink of alcohol can affect your driving. With two or more drinks in your bloodstream you are impaired and could be arrested.

It takes about an hour for your body to get rid of each drink. Time is the only thing that will sober you up. There are ways of dealing with social situations. Arrange to go with two or more persons and agree which one of you will not drink alcohol.