| One minute your in the bar, having a couple of | | | | BAC well above the legal limit and the risk is now |
| laughs with someone you just met. The flirting | | | | 380 times than the abstainer. Drunk driving is |
| rises as both of you chug down your drinks. As | | | | never an option. |
| you drink more, you become bolder, so is the | | | | Driving requires complete attention and all the |
| other person. Both of you now have a roaring | | | | motor skills of the person. Your hand and eye |
| good time. As the night ends, you exchange | | | | coordination is essential as well as the skills. A |
| numbers, say your goodbyes and get to your | | | | driver's ability to divide his or her attention to |
| cars. That's when the nightcap ends, the likelihood | | | | multiple visual sensations is drastically cut as the |
| that you'll end up in a hospital is far greater than | | | | level of BAC grows. Information processing, |
| the other motorists on the road, and odds are | | | | reaction time, attentiveness on the road, driving |
| you'll cause the accident. Drinking and driving | | | | skills and all aspects of psychomotor performance |
| never matched, you may never have the chance | | | | is greatly reduced with a high level of BAC. |
| to dial the number you just got from the person | | | | Incidents of drunk driving with persons below 21 |
| in the bar. | | | | years of age have been alarming. Many blame this |
| Fact, drunk driving is the leading cause of motor | | | | on the fact that because of the young age their |
| vehicle mishaps all over the world. Fact, motor | | | | driving skills are minute. Inexperience and alcohol |
| vehicle accidents is the leading cause of death in | | | | doesn't mix well with drunk driving. With the |
| the United States for people under the age of 34. | | | | energetic youth and their adventurous spunk, |
| Basically, the more you drink the more the | | | | driving drunk is never an alternative. Young people |
| likelihood that you will get into an accident if you | | | | have an inclination to take risks when driving, like |
| drive. During holidays, vehicular accidents rise | | | | speeding and they have the tendency to under or |
| dramatically because of all the drinking and | | | | over estimate situations. Drinking alone is illegal for |
| celebration. | | | | those under the age of 21. The fact that they |
| Laws have been passed to curb the incidents of | | | | are underage drinkers increases the risk of |
| drunk driving. Most states have laws that prohibit | | | | getting involved in vehicular accidents. |
| a person who have been drinking above a certain | | | | Many laws have been imposed to help reduce |
| limit from driving. Most states have a BAC limit of | | | | drunk driving related vehicular accidents. Penalties |
| 0.10 percent while some have lowered it to 0.08 | | | | and legal sanctions are handed down to those |
| percent for drivers 21 and above. Anyone | | | | convicted of drunk driving, this also serves as a |
| younger shouldn't even be drinking. BAC (Blood | | | | warning to those who drink and drive. When a |
| Alcohol Concentration) is the ratio of the alcohol | | | | person is caught drunk driving and convicted, |
| to the blood of the body. BAC is used as the | | | | penalties and sanctions include suspension of the |
| percentage of the amount of alcohol present in | | | | license to drive. You may also have to pay a |
| every deciliter of blood. | | | | certain amount. For repeated offenders, jail time |
| As more alcohol is consumed the risk of getting | | | | may also be included and permanent suspension |
| into a vehicular accident if the person drives | | | | of the license may be done. There is also the |
| grows. For example, a man that weighs about | | | | imposition of having to attend seminars on drunk |
| 160 pounds would have a BAC of 0.04 an hour | | | | driving. |
| after drinking two beers. It's still way below the | | | | Many laws have been passed to prevent drunk |
| limit of driving under the influence but the likelihood | | | | driving and thankfully the number of drunk driving |
| of getting into an accident is 1.4 times more | | | | related accidents has dropped. Drinking could be a |
| probable than someone who hasn't had a drop. | | | | great way to celebrate or pass the time away. |
| Add two more beers then the probability goes up | | | | But if you plan on drinking, make sure that you |
| tenfold. Make it a six pack with two more beers, | | | | have a designated driver or just take a cab |
| the drinker reaches the limit of 0.10 BAC and the | | | | home. No price is too high for a person's health. |
| risk is now 48 times more that the non drinker. | | | | Whatever the reason is for drinking, never ever |
| Add two more for the road and you reach 0.15 | | | | get behind a wheel. |