Impaired Driving
Alcohol Affects Your Ability to Drive Safely
Alcohol is a substance that reduces the function of the brain, impairing thinking, reasoning and muscle coordination. All these abilities are essential to operating a vehicle safely.
As alcohol levels rise in a person’s system, the negative effects on the central nervous system increase. Alcohol is absorbed directly through the walls of the stomach and small intestine. Then it passes into the bloodstream where it accumulates until it is metabolized by the liver. A person's alcohol level is measured by the weight of the alcohol in a certain volume of blood. This is called Blood Alcohol Concentration, or BAC. At a BAC of .08 grams of alcohol per deciliter (g/dL) of blood, crash risk increases exponentially.
However, even a small amount of alcohol can affect driving ability. In 2022, more than 2,500 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes where a driver had a BAC of .01 to .07 g/dL.
BEING A RESPONSIBLE DRIVER IS SIMPLE: IF YOU ARE DRINKING, DO NOT DRIVE.
IF YOU: plan to drink, plan your safe ride home before you start the party, choose a non-drinking friend as a designated driver.
IF YOU: know someone who has been drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel. Take their keys and help them arrange a sober ride home.
IF YOU: drink, do not drive for any reason. Call a taxi, a ride-hailing service, or a sober friend.
IF YOU: host a party where alcohol will be served, make sure all guests leave with a sober driver.
IF YOU: see an impaired driver on the road, call 911. Your actions could help save someone’s life.
