Drinking, Drugs, & HealthDriver’s Education

Mr. Vazquez

Effects of alcohol

• Alcohol is a drug that affects overall driving ability

• Increase driving confidence and inhibit ability to make responsible decisions

• Even if below legal limit, alcohol, still affects one’s ability to drive affectively

• After 2-4 drinks reaction time, coordination, and balance are affected

• Vision and the ability to judge distance is affected causing reaction time and ability to drive safely decrease

Effects of Alcohol Continued

Sobriety can only be achieved through time

90% of alcohol is burned up (oxidized through the liver)

10% is eliminated through breath, sweat, and urine

The above is the reason for a slow-process to achieve a sober status and no quick fixes

Effects of alcohol continued

Alcohol creates a significant increase in emotions

Combination of alcohol and anger can create dangerous driving situations

Most alcohol related accidents involve one car, but many individuals are injured/killed

How much is too much?

BAC= BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION

BAC is based upon Quantity of Alcohol Consumed, Body Weight, How quickly consumed, and How much food was eaten

Best way to avoid drinking and driving accidents is to avoid any type of driving after drinking

HOW MUCH is too much?

BAC can be determined by a breath test or blood test

In NJ it is illegal for a driver 21 or older to drive with a BAC of .08 or greater

In NJ it is illegal for a driver under the age of 21 to drive with a BAC of 0.01 or greater

Risk of accidents while drinking & Driving

A BAC of just over .05 doubles chances of accident

A BAC of .10 increases a motor vehicle accident by 6x

A BAC of .15 increases chances of an accident to 25X

Breathalyzer test

Given by Police Officers who suspect drivers of intoxication

Refusal to give a Breathalyzer test will result in same penalty as driving with a BAC of .10 first offense.

^Loss of Driving License for 7-12 months , also subject to a charge of $1,000 per year for 3 years

Its not what you drink, but how much

All 3 are equal and contain about a ½ ounce of alcohol

Most arrests are for persons under the influence from beer

Food does slow down the absorption rate of alcohol, but will not prevent a high BAC

Heavy and steady drinking will always cause a high BAC

Avoid driving, use a Designated Driver, Cab, or Public Transportation

DRINKING & DRIVING

Driving while drunk will cause driver’s to have slow reaction time and to drive with more confidence than usual

Officers are taught to look for these examples to recognize drunk drivers:

Speeding: Driving at high speeds may seem safe to the driver

Weaving: May stay in lane, but will have trouble staying in a straight line

Slow Driving: May be driving overly cautious and slower than traffic

Jerking: Driver may have short mental lapses and not keep a steady speed on a clear road

Quick Stops: Driver may not ease to a stop at stop signs or traffic lights, but rather slam brakes at last second

Being a good host & the Drinking Driver

Make sure food is available

Do not over serve

Offer a place to stay, call for cab, or notify police

DO NOT let person drive home, will become legally involved in a drunk driving accident

Designated Drivers

First state to launch the HERO Campaign for designated drivers

Drive the car for individuals who have been drinking

Take great responsibility in the title

Ensures safety of other drivers as well

A driver who drives someone else’s car and receives a DUI means the owner of the car can receive a DUI as well

Drugs & Driving

Illegal to operate any vehicle in NJ under the influence of any illegal drugs

Check prescription drugs’ side effects i.e. may cause drowsiness/sleepiness

Never mix drugs with drugs or drugs with alcohol

If using prescription drugs must show proof to police officer if they ask

If a person does not possess a prescription for a drug in their possession then it is considered illegal

Drugs & Driving continued

After alcohol, marijuana is the second leading drug found to be in possession and drivers to be under the influence of

Marijuana may cause drivers to:

Loss of tracking ability: Drivers will not be able to maintain a straight line

Distance Judgment: Drivers may tailgate and follow to closely

Vigilance: Not being able to pay attention to driving cause a driver to tailgate, drift into another lane etc.

Divided Attention: To not notice driving signs, road hazards, etc.

HEALTHY DRIVING

Health- Any cold, sickness, injury could affect one’s ability to drive affectively

Vision-State law allows MVC to retest 10% of the driving population each year. A motorist should get their vision tested at least every 2 years. Over the age of 40 should get their eyes checked every year. The ability to judge distance is a major component to driving

Hearing- The ability to hear a horn or siren is a major component of driving. Sometimes a car can be heard and not seen. Never wear earphones or have the radio too loud.

THE END