Session 29 – Drinking and Driving Part 1
Alcohol Content
About 40% of the traffic crashes in which someone was killed involved alcohol. If you drink alcohol, even a little, your chances of being in a crash are much greater than if you did not drink any alcohol.
Every .02 increase in alcohol concentration (AC) nearly doubles the risk of being in a fatal crash. AC is the percentage of alcohol in your body and is usually determined by a breath, blood or urine test.
No one can drink alcohol and drive safely, even if they have been driving for many years. Because they are still learning to drive, new drivers are more affected by alcohol than experienced drivers.
Because drinking alcohol and then driving is so dangerous, the penalties are very high. People who drive after drinking risk arrest, heavy fines, higher insurance rates, loss of their driving privilege and jail sentences.
Why is Drinking and Driving So Dangerous?
Alcohol reduces all of the important skills you need to drive safely. Alcohol goes from your stomach into your blood and to all parts of your body. It reaches your brain in 20 to 40 minutes. Alcohol affects those areas of your brain that control judgment and skill. Drinking alcohol is very dangerous because it affects your judgment. Good judgment is important to driving but in this case, judgment helps you to know when to stop drinking. In a way, it is as if alcohol puts good judgment on hold. You do not know when you have had too much to drink until it is 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.
If You Drink, When Can You Drive?
The best advice is do not drive if you drink alcohol. Even one drink of alcohol can affect your driving. With two or more drinks in your bloodstream, you are impaired and could be arrested.
An alcohol “drink” is one and a half ounces (one shot glass) of 80-proof liquor, straight or with a mixer, 12 ounces (a regular size can, bottle, mug or glass) of beer or a 5 ounce glass of wine. Specialty drinks can have more alcohol in them and may be the same as having several 5-ounce normal drinks.
For the average adult, it may take up to two hours for your body to get rid of each drink. There is no way to quickly sober up. Coffee, fresh air, exercise or cold showers will not help. Time is the only thing that will sober you up.
There are ways of dealing with social drinking situations. Arrange to go with two or more people. Agree ahead of time which one of you will not drink alcohol. You can rotate among the group being the “designated driver”. Otherwise, use public transportation or a cab, if available.
There are ways to slow down the effects of drinking alcohol. The best way is to increase the amount of time between drinks. Another way is to eat before and while you are drinking. Food slows down how fast alcohol gets into your body. Starchy foods like potato chips, pretzels, bread and crackers are best. Remember, food only slows when the alcohol gets into your body, it will not keep you from getting drunk.
Wisconsin’s Alcohol Laws
Operating While Intoxicated (OWI): You can be arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol if you have a Prohibited Alcohol Concentration (PAC), or a detectable amount
of a restricted controlled substance, in your blood. If you are found guilty of an OWI violation and it is your first conviction, you will be fined and your license will be revoked
for six months or more. The penalties are even more severe for second and subsequent convictions. You could face a minimum one-year revocation with no occupational license during that period. All vehicles that have your name on the title or registration may be subject to immobilization or Ignition Interlock Device (IID.) If it is your third or greater conviction, your vehicle could be seized. OWI convictions remain on your driving record for life.
Implied Consent: If a police or traffic officer asks you to take a PAC test, you must comply. If you refuse, you will lose your driver license for at least one year.
Absolute Sobriety or “Not a Drop”: Drivers under age 21 can be arrested for driving with any amount of alcohol in their body.