The Question of Drinking and Driving

Is it safe to operate a vehicle with any amount of alcohol in your system even if below the legal limits? No matter how small the amount of alcohol consumed, research has shown there are effects on the body. These effects become apparent well before the person reaches the concentration in the blood alcohol level to be found guilty of driving drunk.

The Legal Limit In all 50 states, the legal limit for drunk driving is a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of .08. A 120-pound woman can reach a .08 BAC level after only two drinks and a 180-pound man can be at .08 after only four drinks.

A "drink" consists of either one shot of liquor, a five-ounce glass of wine or one beer. All of these contain the same amount of alcohol.

At a .08 BAC level, drivers are so impaired that they are 11 times more likely to have a single-vehicle crash than drivers with no alcohol in their system. But 25 years of research has shown that some impairment begins for both males and females even after one drink. .02 BAC Level At the .02 blood alcohol concentration level, experiments have demostrated that people exhibit some loss of judgment, begin to relax and feel good. But tests have also shown that drivers at the .02 level experience a decline in visual functions, affecting their ability to track a moving object, and experience a decline in the ability to perform two tasks at the same time.

.02 BAC Level - At the .02 blood alcohol concentration level, experiments have demostrated that people exhibit some loss of judgment, They start to experience altered mood such as feeling relaxed and good. But tests have also shown that drivers at the .02 level have a decline in visual functions which can affect their ability to track a moving object, and experience a decline in the ability to perform two tasks at the same time (divided attention).

These changes may be very subtle and barely noticable to the person who has had only one drink, but in an emergency situation while behind the wheel of a vehicle, they could cause the driver to react (or not react) as they would without having had a drink.

If someone behind the wheel with a BAC level of .05 would be operating the vehicle with reduced coordination, a futher reduction in ability to follow moving objects, more trouble with steering and a noticeably reduced response in emergency situations.

If someone with a BAC level of .05 gets behind the wheel, they would be operating the vehicle with a further reduction of coordination. The ability to track moving objects would grow harder and there would be more difficulty in steering. The driver would have a markedly reduced response in emergency situations.

A driver with a BAC of .08 will find it more difficult to concentrate, judge the speed of the vehicle, experience reduced information processing capability and exhibit impaired perception. At a .08 BAC level, drivers are impaired to the point that they are 11 times more likely to have a single-vehicle crash than drivers with no alcohol in their system. But 25 years of studies have shown that some impairment begins for both men and women even after only one drink.

For the drinker, the above impairments may be hardly noticeable at the time. Most believe that they are functioning better than they really are. However the slow reaction times that they might have could be deadly in a emergency driving situation for themselves or others.

For the drinker, the above impairments may be hardly noticeable at the time, but the slow reaction times that they can create could be fatal in a emergency driving situation. No matter the situation, it is not a good idea to drive no matter how much or how little that you have had to drink. Further consideration is alcohol tolerance. Alcohol affects people differently. Some people have a higher response to drinking alcohol than others. Simply put, Those drinkers with a high response to alcohol can experience signs of impairment at the .02 BAC level whereas others do not experience effects until the .05 level.

Since this tolerence can vary so widely form person to person, in many states a driver can be arrested for impared driving even if their blood alcohol cocentration is below what is considered legal. Using the basis of reaction of the driver and their behavior, law enforcement can make the decision if he believes there is probable cause. With all of the risks associated with getting behind the wheel after having even just one drink, the choice to not have that drink is obviously the right one to make.

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