Posts Tagged ‘Alcohol Consumption’

Holidays are a nightmare for traffic handlers as this the time when most accidents related to drunk driving occurs. It is a fact that most individuals feel compelled to increase their alcohol intake during holidays and then unfortunately think that they will have the same responsiveness as when they are sober.

It is also a fact that during holidays, alcohol-manufacturing companies increase their ads to lure drinkers to increase their intake in order to boost their profits. This advertising is done both directly and subliminally and it is the drivers who are left holding the stick at the wrong end of the law.

Holiday Drunk Driving and Young Drivers

Statistics show that young drivers between the ages of 21 to 34 accounts for most of the alcohol related accidents and road deaths during holidays. The same study shows that of all arrested DUI offenders, this age group pool possess the highest blood alcohol content levels and this same group are most unlikely to change their drinking habits during holiday periods.

Many cops will tell you that young drivers are some of the most inexperienced individuals behind the wheel of a car. They are unable to negotiate difficult or unsuspecting traffic maneuvers and are the most likely to cause traffic accidents. This fact coupled with the loss of coordination caused from alcohol consumption is like a time bomb waiting to explode.

Peak Holiday Drunk Driving Crashes

Most individuals would think that New Year’s Eve would have the highest levels of drunk driving crashes. This is due to the high consumption of Champaign and other beverages. However, to the surprise of many, New Year’s is a distant second to thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is a time of family togetherness where families come together to celebrate the year’s successes and just share time with each other. During this time, there is extensive alcohol consumption that leaves individuals usually spent by the end of the day. Most family members will visit from locations all over the country and then must leave by the end of the day to prepare for regular events the following day. During their travel back home, they are then left at the mercy of fate. Unfortunately, many do not make it, as they are unable to negotiate their way back home and end up included in the statistics of holiday drink driving crashes.

Alaska the Queen of Holiday Drunk Driving Crashes

A little known fact is that Alaska has the highest rate of holiday drunk driving fatal crashes in the US. Many theories have been put forward as to why this is so, but just as the reasons are many, the same is the amount of rebuttals.

However, one of the strongest suggestions is that these holiday crashes are related to the extended cold seasons that exist in the state. This extended cold season results in individuals consuming more alcohol in an effort to keep their internals warm. This high alcohol consumption coupled with the icy road conditions make controlling a vehicle almost impossible. This then leads to severe traffic accidents that unfortunately are often fatal.

How does R-U-Buzzed Works

R-U-Buzzed is the brainchild of the Colorado Department of transportation. This brilliant idea was born out of a need to bring down the spate of road fatalities because of drunk driving. R-U-Buzzed is available from your Apps store free of cost for users of the iPhone to download it to their iPhone.

R-U-Buzzed does not give a scientific evaluation of you blood alcohol content level, but uses general information created from various accident records, medical advice and plain ingenuity to come up with an average blood alcohol content. The intention of the program is only to act as a guide for drinkers and in the end save lives.

Is R-U-Buzzed Worth it?

When the Colorado Department of Transport met for their regular meetings to devise ways of reducing road fatalities due to alcohol consumption, they decided to develop something that can connect with the new generation of drivers who were now making up the bulk of road fatalities. They contacted a marketing company who helped them to come up with the idea of R-U-Buzzed. They quickly dispatched the $8000 needed to develop the program. Since its launch on the Apps store, the application has been downloaded over 40,000 times with a spike around public holidays. Since then they have added updates that calls a cab for drunken patrons and utilize the GPS application of the iPhone to indicate their location to the cab service. As a result, the Road traffic department has been tapping itself on its back for the success of the application. It however must be noted that all users of the application must agree to a disclaimer that the results are not scientifically proven.

R-U-Buzzed Critics

Several skeptics and critics of the application have raised concern about abuse of the R-U-Buzzed application. They base their concern on stories of teens constantly drinking and testing to find their drinking limit. Owing to the fact that the findings are not scientifically supported this can be dangerous. In addition, the application only displays information based on what is imputed. Therefore, this exposes it to those who want to fool themselves about their condition.

A huge number of fatalities usually happen during the holiday season due to drunk driving. The holiday season is upon us and the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve is reported to be the most dangerous season due to alcohol related injuries and fatalities. If you plan to drink do not drive, designate a safe driver to take you home.

How much Alcohol is too much?

Because people react differently to the effects of alcohol consumption, it is very difficult to judge your own blood and alcohol concentration level. A person may not actually feel drunk but may be legally drunk. The likelihood of getting into a fatal car accident increases with every sip of alcohol you consume. Consuming any amount of alcohol will slow down your reaction time and good judgment. Research shows that impairment begins long before a person reaches the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of .08. A person with a blood alcohol level of .08 to .10 is considered to be legally intoxicated. A driver with the blood alcohol concentrated (BAC) of 0.10 or greater is more likely to be involved in a fatal motor vehicle than a driver who has not consumed any alcohol.

How Consuming Alcohol can affect your Driving

There are serious risks involve if you decide to operate a vehicle while intoxicated. You can harm yourself and cause bodily injury or even death to others. Any amount of alcohol prior to operating a motor vehicle will increase your chances of a catastrophic situation. Listed below are a few reasons why you should avoid drinking and driving.

• Slower reaction time: Driving requires that you can react quickly to emergency situations. You do not have to be drunk in-order for your reflexes to be impaired. A buzz is all it takes to impair your reaction time, thus causing you to overact and losing control of the wheel and causing a delay in reaction of the brake and gas pedal.
• Alertness impaired: To drive safely you need to be alert and aware of your surroundings at all times. Alcohol consumption alters the normal function of the brain and body thus causing you to be less alert and aware, which can affect your driving and ability to make quick decisions and good judgment.

• Blurred Vision: Alcohol consumption also affects your vision. Your vision may get blurred or doubled due to alcohol consumption making it hard to tell whether pedestrians, other vehicles or objects are close or far away.
• Feeling of Overconfidence: People who drive after drinking may get an overwhelming feeling of confidence and not recognize that their driving is impaired. In most cases a driver who is overconfident when driving while intoxicated tends to drive more carelessly and recklessly, often times speeding, weaving from lane to lane or driving off the road and not noticing.

Drunk Driving Facts

If you get a DUI charge and/or conviction, your records will be altered. A DUI on your record can affect you life in many ways, even years after your conviction. Your DUI record is kept by Law enforcement agencies, the legal system and the department of motor vehicle (DMV). Access of your records can also be granted to several different parties, such as insurance companies, colleges, military and employers, causing devastating effects to your future.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle wrecks due to alcohol consumption are the leading cause of death in the United States. Law enforcement agencies across the nation are now issuing stiffer penalties to drunken driving violators in the hope that this will deter people from driving while intoxicated.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reported, in 2003 approximately 4 percent of people who reported driving under the influence (DUI) in the past year had been arrested and booked for DUI in the past year.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 41,059 people died in traffic crashes in 2007 in the United States.

In 2004, 30 percent of all fatal crashes during the week were alcohol-related, compared to 51 percent on weekends and holidays.
18-20 year olds are responsible for more than 10 percent of drunk driving in the United States.

Have a Safe and Happy Holiday Season!