Abut three in every ten Americans will be invlved in an alchl-related crash at sme time in their lives. Every injury, accident, and death caused by drunk driving is cmpletely preventable. Althugh the number f crashes that are alchl related have decreased in the past decade, there are still far t many f these preventable accidents ccurring. Alchl-related mtr vehicle crashes kill smene every 31 minutes and injure smene every tw minutes (NHTSA 2006). As a driver s bld alchl cncentratin (BAC) rises, s des the risk f being invlved in a crash. 0.05 = duble the risk. 0.08 = 7 times the risk. 0.15 = 25 times the risk. GETTING HOME SAFELY If yu are planning t drink, then plan NOT t drive. Plan ahead and arrange vernight accmmdatin r alternative transprt: Share a taxi with friends. Catch public transprt. Ride with a driver wh hasn t been drinking r taking drugs. Arrange fr a friend r relative t give yu a lift. Use a campus r cmmunity designated driver prgram.
LEGAL CONSEQUENCES OF A DWI OR DUI First Offense DWI r DUI: Cnvictin f a first DWI is a Class B misdemeanr. JAIL: Up t a maximum f six mnths FINE: Up t $500.00. Curt csts may als be between $10.00 and $100.00 Suspensin f Driving Privileges: A criminal cnvictin f a first time DUI results in a 30-day suspensin f driving privileges fllwed by a 60-day restrictin t driving nly t and frm wrk r t alchl treatment. This suspensin becmes a permanent part f yur driving recrd A cnvictin will result in 8 pints being ssessed against the driver s license Secnd Offense DWI r DUI: Cnvictin f a secnd DWI r DUI within a five year perid is a Class A misdemeanr. JAIL: Up t a maximum f ne year FINE: Up t $1,000.00, plus curt csts f between $10.00 and $100.00 Revcatin f Driver's License: A criminal cnvictin f a secnd time DWI within 5 years results in a five year revcatin f driving privileges. A hardship license may nt be applied fr until 2 f the 5 year revcatin has been served. This revcatin ges n the persn s driving recrd. Twelve pints are als assessed against the driver s license regardless f hw ld the first DWI cnvictin was. The curt must als require that a persn be restricted t driving a mtr vehicle which has an ignitin interlck device while n prbatin. The device csts $50.00-100.00 t install and $50.00-$75.00 per mnth t maintain.
IMPAIRMENT BEGINS BEFORE YOU ARE LEGALLY DRUNK Research shws that impairment begins lng befre a persn reaches the bld alchl cncentratin level necessary t be guilty f drunken driving..02 BAC Level: Exhibit sme lss f judgment. Begin t relax and feel gd. Experience a decline in visual functins, affecting their ability t track a mving bject. Experience a decline in the ability t perfrm tw tasks at the same time. These changes may be very subtle and barely nticable t the persn wh has had nly ne drink, but in an emergency situatin while behind the wheel f a vehicle, they culd cause the driver t react (r nt react) as they wuld withut having had a drink..05 BAC Level: Peple begin t exhibit exaggerated behavir. Experience lss f small-muscle cntrl such as being able t fcus their eyes quickly. Have impaired judgment, lwered alertness, and release f inhibitin. If smene with a BAC level f.05 gets behind the wheel, they wuld be perating the vehicle with reduce crdinatin, a further diminished ability t track mving bjects, mre difficulty in steering and a markedly reduced respnse in emergency situatins..08 BAC Level: Has pr muscle crdinatin - affecting their balance, speech, visin, reactin time and hearing. Find it mre difficult t detect danger. Exhibit impaired judgment self-cntrl, reasning ability and memry.
A driver with a BAC f.08 will find it mre difficult t cncentrate, judge the speed f the vehicle, experience reduced infrmatin prcessing capability and exhibit impaired perceptin. Drivers are s impaired that they are 11 times mre likely t have a single vehicle crash than drivers with n alchl in their system. Once alchl has been cnsumed its effects n driving cannt be reversed. Getting yur BAC back t zer takes time and n amunt f cffee, fd, physical activity r sleep will speed up the prcess. The nly thing that will sber yu up nce yu have stpped drinking alchl is time. HAVE YOU SAID THIS BEFORE? I drink all the time - I knw my limits, and I can handle my bze! DON T KID YOURSELF. Alchl affects peple in different ways and it s impssible fr yu t judge yur limit. There are many factrs that will affect hw quickly yu reach the limit, such as age, sex, weight, whether yu ve just eaten, and the type f drink yu are drinking. Fizzy drinks (carbnated nes like beer r drinks mixed with sda) pass int the bldstream mre quickly. I ll drive... I ve nly had a cuple. BAD MOVE. Even a single drink will affect yur driving perfrmance. Just a cuple f drinks culd put yu ver the legal limit. At twice the legal limit, yu re at least fifty times mre likely t be invlved in a fatal accident. I haven t had a drink fr an hur r s - I ll be kay t drive by nw." DON T RISK IT.
The bdy burns up alchl very slwly. It takes at least eight hurs t get rid f the alchl frm fur pints f beer. After a night s drinking yu culd still be ver the limit when yu drive t wrk in the mrning! I m always sensible and keep an eye n what I drink. DON T CHANCE IT IF YOU RE DRIVING. It s particularly difficult t accurately estimate hw much yu re drinking at a raging party, r even at a friend s huse. Watch ut fr heavy handed hsts wh make the drinks extra strng r king-sized.