Despite the best efforts of government agencies and private activist groups, intoxicated driving remains a leading cause of fatal motor vehicle accidents. In addition to the 11,000 people who died in alcohol-related crashes in 2008, hundreds of thousands more suffered from non-fatal but still painful injuries. The long-term consequences of such an accident can include chronic pain, mental or physical disabilities, loss of limb, and comas.
If you ever consume alcohol while out with friends, it is very important to be educated about the effects that this substance can have on your functioning. The more you know about the subject, the more obvious it becomes that violating state and federal traffic laws is a seriously bad idea.
Drinking and Your Overall Functioning
Intoxication has many different effects on your physical and mental functioning. The more alcohol you consume, the more profound these effects will be. Medical researchers have divided these effects into different stages that a person may experience as he or she continues drinking. These stages are divided based on their corresponding BAC (blood alcohol content) below:
- BAC of.03 to.12 (roughly one to four drinks for an adult) – Reduced attention span; decreased inhibitions, which may lead to dangerous or illegal behaviors; impaired fine motor skills
- BAC of.09 to.25 (roughly four to eight drinks for an adult) – Dulled senses; impaired short-term memory; loss of balance and coordination; increased reaction times to changes in the environment; impaired vision; delayed cognitive functioning (difficulty understanding things or making decisions)
- BAC of.18 to.30 (roughly six to twelve drinks for an adult) – Lack of control over emotions or behavior; increased loss of balance and coordination; sleepiness; increased vision impairment; slurred speech; further loss of cognitive functioning (may be unable to understand what is going on around one’s self); dizziness
- BAC of.25 to.4 (roughly seven to sixteen drinks for an adult) – Difficulty with any kind of bodily movement; nausea and vomiting; alternating between consciousness and unconsciousness; lack of response to external stimuli
Beyond these phases, people who continue drinking may become comatose or even die. You may have noticed a great deal of overlap between the different blood alcohol levels or number of drinks. This is because intoxication affects each person differently, depending on his or her gender, weight, and tolerance of the drug. It is difficult to predict how alcohol will affect any individual person, which is why it is so important to be cautious while consuming it.
When you consider all the side effects listed above, it is not difficult to see why this substance can make driving very dangerous. Even small amounts (two or three drinks) can have side effects that will increase your chances of an accident. If you are going to drive, please do not drink at all.