Chapter 6 Drinking, Drugs & Health Driver Education

Why drinking and driving education is important for teens?  Every 3 in 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol related crash at some point in their lives.  Every 2 minutes someone is injured in an alcohol related crash.  1 person is killed every 30 minutes due to an alcohol related crash!

Decision: Drunk Driving  Drinking and Driving Ad   Australian Drunk Driving video  d8 d8  Jacquie Saburido, a young Venezuelian woman who was hit by a drunk driver while in the U.S 

Alcohol The negative effects of alcohol on an individual.

Effects of Alcohol  Alcohol is a drug that affects overall driving ability.  It may make a motorist overconfident and unable to think clearly.  Drinking even a small amount of alcohol increases a motorist’s chances of having an accident.

Driving Under the Influence  A driver’s senses and judgment are impaired by alcohol WHY??

Alcohol in your System  It is a depressant drug.  It promotes relaxation and slows down all body functions.  Alcohol is absorbed directly through the stomach lining and small intestines.

Alcohol in your System  Alcohol is removed slowly by the body.  The majority of the alcohol detoxified is oxidized (burned up) by the liver.  The other 10 percent is eliminated in breath, urine, and sweat.

 As little as 1 drink can begin to negatively affect the body for the driving process  Reaction Time  Coordination  Balance  Spatial Awareness  Vision  Decision Making

What is considered 1 drink?  How much alcohol is in one drink?  There is approximately.5 ounces of alcohol in each of the following: 12 oz of beer = 1.5 oz of 80 proof liquor = 5 oz glass of wine

Question??  If the same person has seven beers, it would be equal to drinking how many mixed drinks or glasses of wine?  Seven mixed drinks  Seven glasses of wine

How Much is Too Much to get behind the wheel?  The only scientific way to check is through Blood Alcohol concentration which can be determined by a simple breath test.  BAC is determined by four factors  Quantity of alcohol consumed  Body Weight  How quickly drinks were consumed  Food eaten

BAC Calculator 

BAC  It is illegal for an individual who is 21 years of age or older to drive with a BAC of what? .08 or higher  For individuals younger than 21, it is illegal to drive with a BAC of what? .01 or higher Best is not to drive at all after drinking!

BAC  If a motorist has reached a BAC of slightly above.05 % after drinking, the risk for causing a motor vehicle accident doubles.  The risk is six times as great when driving with a BAC of.10 %.  25 times as great with.15% BAC

BAC  Under state law, refusal to take a breath test is equal to driving with a BAC of.08 for a first offense.  The current penalty is loss of driving privileges for seven months to one year.  Those who choose not to take a breath test are also subject to an MVC insurance surcharge of $1000 per year for 3 years.

Is it Possible to Beat a Breathalyzer Test??  10 minutes 10 minutes

Sobering Up  Do any of the following sober techniques work?  Drinking caffeine  Exercising  Taking a cold shower

NO!  The average body burns off one drink in approximately one hour.  For a smaller person it will take longer and for a larger person it will take a slightly shorter time to oxidize the drink.

What is the only thing that can make a person sober?

It is important to remember …  It does not matter which alcoholic beverage is consumed.  IT’S NOT WHAT YOU DRINK, IT’S HOW MUCH YOU DRINK!  What alcoholic beverage do you think the most people that have been drunk driving had been drinking?  Beer

What would you do?  Scenario 1  You and a friend drive together to a party. Your friend drinks five beers and at the end of the evening says to you “come on — let’s go.” This is your only close friend at the party, and you know you have to be home in a half-hour because of your curfew. Your not sure if should drive home with your friend because she/ he has been drinking but you need to get home before curfew; you also do not want to hurt his/her feelings.

 Is your friend safe to drive with? Why or why not?  What are the possible consequence for driving home with your friend?  What are the possible consequences if you do not ride home with your friend?  Who may be effected in each of your decisions?  What would you do and why? Questions to discuss

How do they know you are DWI??...  Speeding  an intoxicated driver often thinks high speed driving is safe.  Weaving  Even though an intoxicated driver may stay in the correct lane, driving straight may be a problem.

 Slow driving  Jerking motion  an intoxicated river often may have short mental lapses and not keep a steady speed on a clear road.  Quick stops …Continued

Good Hosts and the Drinking Driver  Always be a good host.  Do NOT let anyone drive that has been drinking too much.  Provide non-alcoholic beverages.  STOP serving alcohol before the party ends.  Don’t let anyone who has drank too much drive home  Suggest Nap  Last resort call police !  Why????

Why is it important to be a good host?  Hosts may become involved in a lawsuit if a guest is involved in a drinking and driving collision after leaving the party.

Designated Drivers  New Jersey is the first state in the US to officially launch the Hero Campaign for Designated Drivers.  NJ encourages all state residents to participate in designated driver programs wherever they travel.  A motorist who chooses to have a DD when attending functions where alcohol will be served shows maturity and consideration for other motorists who share the road.

Drugs and Driving  Drugs that may affect basic driving skills include cold pills, tranquilizers and some prescription medications.  The labels on bottles of prescription drugs will describe certain side effects.  Drugs that “may cause drowsiness or dizziness” should not be taken before driving.  Never mix drugs and alcohol  If asked, motorists using prescription drugs MUST show proof of the prescription to law enforcement.

Drugs and Driving  It is illegal to operate a motor vehicle on NJ roadways under the influence of any illegal drugs.

After alcohol, what drug is most often found with drivers involved in collisions?  Marijuana

Drugs and Driving  Marijuana use may affect a motorist in the following ways:  Loss of tracking ability: This is the ability to maintain a vehicle in a given line.  Distance Judgment: Following too closely can cause problems.  Vigilance: Not remaining attentive to the driving task can cause a motorist to follow too closely, drift into another lane, etc.  Divided Attention: Driving is a task that requires constant attention to traffic, roadway and weather conditions, passengers, gauges, etc.

DUI and DWI  What is the difference between DUI and DWI ?  Some states make no distinction between DUI and DWI. One of the main things to remember regardless of the two is that your ability to drive has become IMPAIRED.

DUI DUI: Driving Under the Influence of drugs or alcohol.  Alcohol is definitely in the driver’s system, but depending on the level of impairment, they may or may not be charged with the offense.  Those people registering below the legal limit may not be charged with DUI. Other Violations can be administered if detected.

DWI  DWI: Driving While Intoxicated (by alcohol or drugs). You are at, or over the legal limit and will most likely be arrested for the offense.

Impaired Driving Statistics  Motor vehicle crashes remain the number one cause of death among youth ages There were 7,460 youth motor vehicle deaths in (This includes both drivers and passengers.) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration National Highway Traffic Safety Administration  Twenty-eight percent (28%) of 15- to 20-year-old drivers who were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2005 had been drinking. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Impaired Driving Statistics  For young drivers (15-20 years old), alcohol involvement is higher among males than among females. In 2005, 24% of the young male drivers involved in fatal crashes had been drinking at the time of the crash, compared with 12% of the young female drivers involved in fatal crashes. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration National Highway Traffic Safety Administration  Drivers are less likely to use seat belts when they have been drinking. In 2005, 64% of the young drivers of passenger vehicles involved in fatal crashes who had been drinking were unrestrained. Of the young drivers who had been drinking and were killed in crashes, 74% were unrestrained. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Impaired Driving Statistics  It is estimated that 24,560 lives have been saved by minimum drinking age laws since National Highway Traffic Safety Administration National Highway Traffic Safety Administration  In 2005, an estimated 906 lives were saved by minimum drinking age laws. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Are you ready for a test?