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| Alcohol.
Drugs. Cars. These things don't mix . Learn about the problem and
what can done about it. Although you may know you should never get
into a car whose driver has been drinking?
Alcohol consumption is associated with a wide range of accidents and
injuries resulting from impaired performance of complex mental and
motor functions. |
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| The likelihood
of having an "accident" increases with every drink a driver takes.
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| Research
has shown that there is a definite reduction in the ability of the
individual to process information, particularly in tasks that require
undivided attention for many hours after the blood alcohol level has
reached 0.0%. This means that the risk for injury of a hungover diver
is increased significantly, particularly if high BAC levels were reached
during the drinking episode. |
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The
individual who has alcohol onboard may not feel impaired or even appear
impaired to the observer but definitely is impaired and this is persistent
for extended periods of time. The use of alcohol, even in moderate
doses, clearly carries a self-destructive aspect of behavior and leads
to higher probabilities for serious accidents. |
| A driver with a blood
alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.10 (the legal limit in many states)
or greater is seven times more likely to be involved in a fatal motor
vehicle crash than is a driver who has not consumed alcoholic beverages,
and a driver with an alcohol concentration of 0.15 or greater is about
25 times more likely. Basically, the more you drink the more likely
you are to have an accident, and a fatal one. The same applies for
the likelihood of having any vehicle accident, fatal or otherwise
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| Alcohol-related accidents
are so prevalent, it is estimated that 40 percent of all persons are
involved in a traffic mishap blamed on alcohol at some point in their
lives. Forty percent! |
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| All you had
were a couple beers, but you still feel pretty smashed. Trust
yourself. Don't drive. Even if you're under the 0.10 blood alcohol
content limit and not legally drunk, that doesn't mean you'd
be a safe driver. |
| What
ever you do, don't get behind the wheel if you've been drinking!
Your life, and those of others, could depend on it.
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