ALCOHOL AND DRIVING

absorbed into blood stream

Does not need Carried to brain within

All absorbed within 15 to 40 minutes

How Does Alcohol Act On The Body?Quickly

digestion

minutes

Alcohol increases mental and physical ability.

Alcohol decreases how fast you move and think.

Myth Fact

Some people can drink a lot and not be affected.

No one is immune to the effects of alcohol.

Myth Fact

If you eat a lot first, you won’t get drunk

Food will slow down the absorption but will not prevent intoxication.

Myth Fact

Coffee and a little fresh air will help a drinker sober up.

Only time will help a drinker sober up – other methods just don’t work.

Myth

Stick with beer – it’s not as strong as wine or whiskey.

A few beers are the same as a few shots of whiskey – they affect you equally.

Myth Fact

BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION

AND EFFECTSBAC SIDE EFFECTS

.02-.03 Few Outward effects: small change in mood

.05-.06 Feel warm, calm, exaggerated emotions, small decrease in reaction time, small decrease in fine motor skills, judgement affected, more drinking

.07-.09 Increased speech impairment, off balance, impaired motor skills and vision, increased emotions (happy, sad, anger)*Don’t recognize drunkeness

.11-.12 Difficulty in coordination and balance, DISTINCT impairment of judgement

BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION

BAC SIDE EFFECTS

.14-.15 MAJOR impairment of mental and physical control-slurred speed, blurred vision, no motor skills-NEEDS MEDICAL ATTENTIONS

.20 LOSS of motor control, need help moving around, mental confusion. NEEDS HOSPITALZATION

.30 SEVERE intoxication, little control of mind and body. NEEDS HOSPITALIZATION

.30 UNCONSCIOUSNESS: NEEDS HOSPITALIZATION

Check your BAC

PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL

Reaction Time: After two or more drinks, a driver becomes physically slower and less alert.

Example: Reaction time from accelerator to brake.

PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL

Coordination: Movement gets sloppy and off balance

Drivers who have been drinking are more/less able than others to make critical decisions.

Example: Trouble steering (weaving in and out of their lane)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXz7XrVSOxU

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Vision: Alcohol affects the reflex action

of the eyes that causes pupils to become smaller/larger in bright light and smaller/larger as light diminishes.

Example: Police officer shines bright light into the driver’s eyes. Pupil dilation isn’t immediate if under the influence.

PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL

MENTAL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL

Alcohol also affects the part of the brain that controls the ability to reason.

Drinking drivers are more dangerous because they don’t have the judgment to realize that something is wrong.

Personality is affected. May influence you to take risks you

wouldn’t normally attempt.

FIELD SOBRIETY TESTS

If a driver gets pulled over AND the police suspects they are DUI, a field sobriety test can be conducted.

The driver must perform simple tests to test their abilities

One-Leg Stand

Walk and Turn

Horizontal gaze nystagmus test

ONE-LEG STAND TEST

Driver asked to stand with one foot raised about 6 inches.

He must count aloud until asked to stop.

Police officer is looking for Foot down Arms out to side No follow directions

WALK AND TURN

Walk heel-to-toe along a line for nine steps, turn at the end and return: (Simple for sober drivers)

Reasons for Test: Following directions Physical ability

HORIZONTAL GAZE NYSTAGMUS TEST

What is it? Jerking movement of eyes: When they follow an object

from side to side Commonly caused by

alcohol consumption Police use a penlight to

test Helps determine if a

person had been drinking.

NON-STANDARDIZED FIELD SOBRIETY TEST

Finger-to-nose

ABC’s

Finger count test

ALCOHOL SURVEY