Over 10,000 people lost their lives in 2010 in car accidents involving at least one driver or motorcyclist with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or higher. One of the problems is that many people think they are fine to drive even though they might have a .08 BAC. You do not have to feel intoxicated in order to have a .08 BAC, however, your physical and mental capabilities become significantly diminished at that level.
Depending on your weight, gender and amount of food in your stomach, your body’s reaction to a .08 BAC might be different than another person’s. The following are some typical effects of a .08 BAC and driving ability:
- Your muscle coordination becomes poor affecting your balance, vision, speech, hearing and reaction time
- It becomes harder to detect danger and most people experience some short-term memory loss
- Your judgment, self-control and reasoning become impaired
- It becomes difficult to control your vehicle’s speed
- It becomes harder to detect danger
Even at a .05 BAC, some drivers experience reduced coordination, difficulty in steering and a reduced ability to track moving objects. As always, the best choice is not to drive if you have been drinking.
