The U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) reports that 40 percent of traffic-related deaths during Christmas and New Year's involve drunk drivers -- a 12 percent increase over the rest of the month of December.
The agency offered the following information on the effects of alcohol to clear up some common misconceptions:
Alcohol acts quickly. Alcohol interferes with people's coordination, driving skills and judgment well before physical signs of drunkenness appear. Continued alcohol consumption can prolong reaction time and can cause people to lose control and become aggressive, making driving safely much more difficult.
Alcohol's effects last. Alcohol continues to enter the bloodstream and affect the brain and body for hours after consumption. Driving late at night compounds the sedative effects of alcohol because people are naturally more tired at night. Driving abilities may continue to be impaired the morning after a night of drinking.
Coffee doesn't help. Caffeine does not help reduce the effects of alcohol on people's coordination or ability to make good decisions. Only time will allow the body to metabolize or break down alcohol and return to normal.
For more information on alcohol and driving, check out these links:
Impaired Driving: Get the Facts (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Drunk Driving (Insurance Information Institute, Inc.)
No comments:
Post a Comment