Drinking and Driving

BAC All states have set the legal BAC limit for adults who drive after drinking at 0.08, but impairment of driving skills begins at much lower levels. Certain driving skills such as steering a car while responding traffic stimuli, can be compromised at a BAC as low as And the more alcohol you consume, the more impaired your driving skills will be.

Why do some people choose to drink and drive? Alcohol-induced loss of judgment: alcohol affects your decision making. Lack of planning: not having a designated driver, not knowing beforehand how you will handle the transportation. Not planning to be drinking. In the moment thinking. Peer pressure: this is a factor especially for teenagers. Rationalization: “I live 5 minutes away”, “It’s not the first time”. drunk drivers find excuses to justify their driving; Over-confidence: drinking changes the perception about our abilities, people believe they can do things better than when sober. In reality, they do them much worse. Lack of education: there are a lot of people who simply are unaware of the serious consequences.

Teenagers and drinking & driving Alcohol is the most used drug among teenagers all around the world. 60 percent of all teen deaths in car accidents are alcohol-related; 4000 teenagers are killed every year Another 85,000 teenagers are injured, by driving drunk, as passengers or as innocent bystanders; Teens are more likely than older drivers to speed, run red lights, make illegal turns, ride with a drunk driver, and drive after using alcohol or drugs.

Consequences of Drinking and Driving jail time court costs loss of job/loss of income attorneys fees increased insurance rates car impound and towing fees loss of driving privileges cost of drivers education classes cost and inconvenience of ignition interlock device installed on car community service time and the worst consequence of drunk driving is injuring or killing someone else or yourself.

WHAT IS DISTRACTED DRIVING? Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person's attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety. These types of distractions include: –Texting –Using a cell phone or smartphone –Eating and drinking –Talking to passengers –Grooming –Reading, including maps –Using a navigation system –Watching a video –Adjusting a radio, CD player, or MP3 player –because text messaging requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention from the driver, it is by far the most alarming distraction.

Distracted Driving | Faces of Distracted Driving | Texting and Driving Teen drivers are more likely than other age groups to be involved in a fatal crash where distraction is reported. In 2009, 16% of teen drivers involved in a fatal crash were reported to have been distracted. (NHTSA) (NHTSA) 40% of all American teens say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put people in danger. (Pew)(Pew) Drivers who use hand-held devices are 4 times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. (Monash University)(Monash University) Text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted. (VTTI)(VTTI)

Sending or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent-at 55 mph-of driving the length of an entire football field, blind. (VTTI)(VTTI) Headset cell phone use is not substantially safer than hand-held use. (VTTI)(VTTI) Using a cell phone while driving - whether it's hand- held or hands-free delays a driver's reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of.08 percent. (University of Utah)(University of Utah) Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37%. (Carnegie Mellon) (Carnegie Mellon)

Take the Pledge The fight to end distracted driving starts with you. Make the commitment to drive phone-free today. Distracted driving kills and injures thousands of people each year. I pledge to: –Protect lives by never texting or talking on the phone while driving. Be a good passenger and speak out if the driver in my car is distracted. –Encourage my friends and family to drive phone-free. SIGNATURE: _____________________________________________________________ DATE: ___________________________________________________________________