Drinking and Driving

Statistics Every day, almost 30 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This amounts to one death every 51 minutes In 2012, 10,322 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third (31%) of all traffic-related deaths in the United States In 2010, over 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics At all levels of blood alcohol concentration (BAC), the risk of being involved in a crash is greater for young people than for older people. Among drivers with BAC levels of 0.08 % or higher involved in fatal crashes in 2012, one out of every 3 were between 21 and 24 years of age (32%). The next two largest groups were ages 25 to 34 (27%) and 35 to 44 (24%).

Standardized Field Sobriety Test Instructions Walk and Turn Instructions (WAT) Put your left foot on the line and put your right foot in front of it with your right heel touching your left toe. Keep you hands at your side Do not start until I tell you to. Do you understand the directions? When I tell you to begin, take nine heel to toe steps on the line, turn around keeping one foot on the line, and return nine heel to toe steps. On the ninth step, keep the front foot on the line and turn by taking several small steps with the other foot. While walking, watch your feet at all time, keep arms at side, count steps out loud. Once you begin, do not stop until test is completed. Do you understand the instructions? You may begin the test. One-leg Stand Instructions (OLS) Stand with your heels together and your arms at your side. Do not begin until I tell you to. Do you understand? When I tell you, I want you to raise one leg, either leg, approximately six inches off the ground, foot pointed out. Keep both legs straight and keep your eyes on the elevated foot. While holding that position, count out loud; one thousand and one, one thousand and two, one thousand and three, and so forth until told to stop. You may begin the test Finger-to-Nose; Test of balance and coordination. Heels and toes together, arms at sides, eyes closed, head tilted back, touch tip of finger to nose with both right and left index finger.

What constitutes drunk driving? If your BAC is greater than or equal to .08 if you are of legal age .02 if you are under 21

BAC Chart

Penalties If First Drunk Driving Conviction:  imprisonment (up to 1 year) fine ($500 to $1,000) license suspension (6 months) If Second Drunk Driving Conviction within 5 Years:  imprisonment (5 days to 4 years jail) fine ($1,000 up to $5,000) license suspension (1 year)

Insurance Some insurance companies may terminate a policy after an underage DUI (while others refuse to renew). Most companies simply raise the cost of the monthly premium by $100 to $200 (sometimes higher) for a higher risk policy

How can you sober up? TIME!!!! The only real way to sober up is letting your liver process the alcohol and take it’s time The liver typically takes about an hour per drink to get through your system

Myths about sobering up Drinking coffee: Drinking coffee to sober up is a dangerous myth because it makes you alert. People may fall for the illusion that they are sober, but none of the dangers associated with being drunk actually go away Taking a cold shower: Cold showers can provide a false sense of alertness, but the liver still requires the same amount of time to process the alcohol. Same as coffee, cold showers can provide a false sense of sobriety

Getting some fresh air: Cold air can make you feel better and more alert, but it has no effect on your blood alcohol content. Exercising: Since alcohol can be eliminated through sweating and breathing, you can become less drunk this way, however the amount is negligible.   95% of alcohol is eliminated through the liver, with just 5% eliminated through sweating and breathing.

Eating Food: Eating before you begin drinking can be beneficial to your body by slowing the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream, but eating after you drink will have zero effect on your drunkenness. Drinking Lots of Water: Once your body consumes heavy amounts of alcohol, you need to wait until your liver can process it. No amount of water will speed up the process.

Discussion How do you know when you've done too much drinking to drive? How do you know if somebody else is too drunk to drive? Does a person have to be drunk to be too impaired to drive? Do any of you have rules or guidelines for yourself designed to keep you out of drinking/ driving situations? You're at a party and a friend of yours is about to drive home drunk. Do you have the right to try to stop him? How would you go about it? You're at a party and your drunken date insists on driving you home. What are your options? Why do some people drive when drunk even though they know they're risking their lives?

Make a Plan Whenever your social plans involve alcohol, make plans so that you don’t have to drive after drinking. For example: Prior to any drinking, designate a non-drinking driver when with a group. Don’t let your friends drive impaired. Take their keys away. If you have been drinking, get a ride home or call a taxi. If you’re hosting a party where alcohol will be served, remind your guests to plan ahead and designate their sober driver; offer alcohol-free beverages; and make sure all guests leave with a sober driver.