ALCOHOL & DRIVING Driver Manual Chapter 6

BACKGROUND  Alcohol is involved in ~40% of all highway deaths  About ½ the people killed are NOT the ones who were drinking  Drinking 1-2 drinks makes a teenager 40x more likely to be involved in a fatal collision compared to any sober driver

EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL  Changes the way one acts, thinks, and feels  Many experiment to overcome feelings of shyness, inhibition, unhappiness, and/or increases confidence  NO such thing as a responsible drinker being underage

Effects of Alcohol on the Body  Liver  Heart  Sexuality  Brain  Stomach  Sleep

SIGNS OF A PROBLEM DRINKER  Changes  Changes in behavior:  Loss  Loss of initiatives  Frequent  Frequent lateness/absences from school  Increased  Increased behavioral problems  Lower  Lower grades  Change  Change in friends  Trouble  Trouble with the law  Insomnia  Memory  Memory loss or blackouts

PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL 1.Reaction time decreases 2.Coordination becomes “sloppy” 3.Depth Perception is deceiving, judgment is impaired 4.Speed Perception is distorted 5.Vision - decreased reflex action of pupils - impaired side, color, & night vision - impaired side, color, & night vision - decreased eye focus - decreased eye focus - may cause double vision - may cause double vision

MENTAL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL  Can make you feel as though you are thinking more clearly than usual = impaired judgment  Affects INHIBITIONS* - elements of personality that stop you from behaving w/out regard to possible consequences

BAC LEVEL  Blood alcohol concentration – the percent of alcohol in a person’s blood - in NJ, it is illegal to drive when the BAC is: >21 yrs. old <21 yrs. old

KEY POINTS  BAC level of:. 05 – doubles risk of crashing.10 – 6x greater risk of crashing.15 – 25x greater risk of crashing  A “drink” means – 1.5oz. of 86 proof liquor = 12oz. can of beer = 5oz. glass of wine  The greatest # of people arrested for drinking & driving had been drinking beer

KEY POINTS cont’d  4 factors that will cause an increase in BAC: 1. Amount consumed 2. Time the amount is consumed 3. Body weight 4. Amount of food in stomach 5. Gender  Myths for sobering up? *TIME is the only method

LAWS,TESTS, & PENALTIES  IMPLIED CONSENT LAW* - agreement to give police permission to test for alcohol use if arrested for suspicion of drinking & driving  Tests for intoxication 1. Chemical analysis of blood or urine 2. Breath test – penalty for refusal (p. 105)

OTHER DRUGS AFFECT DRIVING  Over-the-counter – may cause drowsiness or dizziness - medicines for colds, flu, headaches, allergies, & other everyday ailments  Prescription – look at the warnings  Depressants – slow down the central nervous system  Stimulants – speed up the central nervous system  Hallucinogens – changes the way one thinks, feels, and acts**ILLEGAL**  Narcotics – strong depressant effect - may cause stupor, coma, and/or death - may cause stupor, coma, and/or death

DRUG CATEGORIES NNNNARCOTICS 1.H eroin 2.C odeine 3.M orphine DDDDEPRESSANTS 1.A lcohol 2.B arbiturates 3.M ethadone 4.S leeping pills 5.T ranquilizers

Cont’d  STIMULANTS 1.Amphetamines (speed) 2.Cocaine (crack or rock)  HALLUCINOGENS 1.Marijuana 2.LSD 3.PCP (angel dust) 4.Hashish

Effect of Drugs and Driving  Perception  Judgment  Coordination  Vision  Mood

Marijuana and Driving  2 nd most drug found with drivers involved in a collision  Affects  Loss of tracking ability  Distance judgement  Vigilance  Divided attention

DISTRACTIONS & DRIVING  Vehicle audio system - playing music too loud - changing stations, tapes, and/or CD’s  Headphones - may not hear important sounds, such as other cars honking  Cell phones  Passengers  Other distractions????