Posts Tagged ‘Drunk Driving’

Drunk Driving Statistics In 2011

Posted on Nov 16, 2011

In the last two decades, DUI losses per 100,000 inhabitants shave dropped by over 40 percent across the nation, and over 60 percent for people below 21 years of age. These numbers are signs of the achievements being made to battle DUI. While advocacy groups cannot assert to be the only influence in this decrease, they have played a noteworthy part in attaining these significantly reduced numbers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that nearly 35,000 people perished in auto accidents in the later part of the last decade in America. These statistics include the 11,000 victims that were killed in DUI mishaps linked to operators with a Blood Alcohol Level (BAC) of over.08.

DUI Deaths– Countrywide Numbers

The same organization also reported that since they began recording alcohol-related statistics in the early 80s, DUI deaths have diminished by nearly 50 percent from about 22,000 in the beginning of the 80s. Ever since the setting up of organizations to combat drunk driving, the country’s DUI deaths have dropped nearly 35 percent.

Drunk Driving Statistics Record Good Progress

It seems like schemes to cut back DWI are beginning to get effective. We must all continue to explain to others the hazards of DWI. Drunk driving statistics of the last decade are optimistic meters of the achievements being made by enlightening the nation on the dangers of DWI. Organization like:

MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving),
The Century Council,
IDDPA (International Drunk Driving Prevention Association),
Saferide.org
SADD (Student Against Drunk Driving)
DFDD (Doctors For Designated Driver)
TABOODDY (Take A Bite Out OF Drunk Driving Youth)

deserve much credit for positively highlighting the dangers of drunk driving. These movements were long time in the coming, when you think about the amount of fatalities and damage drinking and driving has caused over the years.

Organizations against drunk driving have played a commendable part in combating this pointless catastrophe. Even though advocacy associations cannot declare 100% victory against DUI they can pat themselves on the back for the effect they have had in reducing deaths due to drunk driving.

DUI, DWI1 Comment »BAC Drunk Driving

How Alcohol Affects Your Body and Mind

Posted on Nov 01, 2011

Most people like a drink now and again, but not many people know exactly what the alcohol does to their body and brain once it has been consumed. Obviously the severity of the effects of alcohol depends on how much and how regularly alcohol is being consumed. It must be remembered that your body and mind are affected by even small amounts of alcohol.

Often people think it is safe to drive after drinking a small amount of alcohol, but this really is not the case. Even a beer or two can cause a delayed reaction, and when you are behind the wheel quick reactions are a must.

The Body

What does alcohol actually do to your body? The main chemical found in alcohol is called ethanol, which is a depressant that affects your central nervous system. When you drink alcohol it is absorbed into your body through your stomach, and can make its way into every organ in your body. This is because it is very easy for human cell membranes to absorb alcohol. The concentration of alcohol in your blood determines how great an effect it has on you; it can lead you from being euphoric, to being confused, and can finally make you unconscious.

Alcohol is a poisonous drug, and becoming dependent on it is a serious problem. Alcoholics often suffer from life-threatening conditions like heart disease and liver cirrhosis. It is estimated that a person that begins to drink alcohol at the age of 15 is five times more likely to become dependent on it than a person that begins drinking when they are 21.

Even small amounts of alcohol affect the body in a variety of different ways, and can result in visible changes to your appearance. Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to a condition called acne rosacea, which causes you to blush and gives you hot flushes easily. You may have noticed that older people who drink a lot often have an enlarged red nose. This is a result of prolonged acne rosacea, and is a permanent alteration of the skin which is called rhinophyma.

Alcohol is high in calories so it can have a large impact on your weight, hence the term beer belly. To give you an idea of how many calories are in a beer, you should realize that regularly drinking five large bottles of beer each week works out the same as eating around 220 doughnuts a year!

You may be surprised to know that it doesn’t take that much alcohol to kill you. When your blood alcohol concentration tips over the 0.4% mark alcohol poisoning starts to take effect and death sometimes occurs. Binge drinking in the United States causes around 79,000 deaths every year according to a recent report published by The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. A report by the World Health Organization estimated that each year around 2.5 million deaths worldwide are caused by alcohol.

The Mind

Mental health is affected by alcohol, and has been linked to a range of different mental health problems. Anxiety and depression are the most commonly conditions to result from drinking, which can lead to isolation and nervousness, and irrational phobias like a fear of going outside and interacting with people. It is believed that regularly consuming around 8-10 units of alcohol each day will result in some mental inefficiency, and even more so in young people. The human brain is still developing right up till a person is in his late teens, and regular drinking during your youth can result in the parts of the brain responsible for emotional control and planning to be smaller.

Alcohol can make you more confident and sociable when it is taken in small amounts, but continued consumption can lead to a short attention span, confusion, impaired judgment, poor coordination and delayed reactions. Of course, alcohol affects different people in different ways, and for some people consuming a small amount of alcohol brings about an unnoticeable change in their mood. Such people commonly fall foul of DUI laws because, even though they are mildly intoxicated, they believe they are not under the effect of alcohol. If you have an accident while being drunk, driving insurance on your vehicle will not cover you and it is likely that the police will prosecute you.

Alcohol also plays a large part in the number of suicides that occur each year, and the same goes for self-harming. Research and data in this area is thin, but the UK Department of Health has roughly estimated that in around 50% of suicide and self-harm cases alcohol was consumed prior to carrying out the act.

Things to Remember

Drinking in moderation can be fun and safe, and knowing the effects of alcohol will give you an increased awareness of when you should stop drinking. This awareness will also help you keep your friends safe and will help you recognize early on if somebody close to you is developing a drinking problem.

Some people can handle alcohol much better than others; however everyone is subject to the same laws. Being intoxicated behind the wheel is a criminal offence so avoid driving after drinking alcohol at all costs, even if you have only had a couple of beers or a glass of wine.

Guest PostNo Comments »Alcohol Blood Alcohol Content Drinking in Moderation Drunk Driving DUI DUl Laws

Implementation of Alcohol Interlocks to Control Drunk Driving – Can this be an effective move?

Posted on Oct 26, 2011

Drinking will not be replaced as a source of entertainment in the nation anytime soon and this is also the case with driving. This need not be a source of concern or a problem as long as both the things are not combined. One way to separate the two would be through the implementation of alcohol interlocks to control drunk driving. Some people are promoting this method of curbing drunken driving by claiming that this can be an effective move.

Alcohol Interlock Devices Have Generated a Movement

The utilization of Alcohol Interlock mechanisms, that stop a vehicle from being started if the operator has a particular level of alcohol in their blood stream system, has been doing well in some states. Because of this, a movement has spawned that promotes making these devices standard equipment on cars manufactured in the U.S.

Benefits of Alcohol Interlock Devices

Many anti-DUI advocacy groups along with a few legislators have joined this movement. In addition, one European automobile manufacture has already offered comparable apparatus as optional features on some of the models they produce. This has encouraged these groups by proving that the technology is viable. There is an array of objectives that can be accomplished with the implementation of alcohol interlocks. These include:

Incapacitation
Deterrence
Punishment
Rehabilitation

Recent Advances in Alcohol Interlocks by US Researchers

Recently vehicle manufactures in the United States have started working improving alcohol interlocks. The new technology allows the detection of alcohol from an operator’s skin pores. This is much less obtrusive than the current technology, which requires a driver to blow into a tube. This ease of use may make the public more acceptable to having alcohol interlocks in their cars.

Concerns of Privacy Advocates

Privacy Advocates oppose the use of alcohol interlocks to curb drunk driving based on freedom and confidentiality concerns. They fret that those who do not drink will also be forced to give samples, and they are concerned about the sharing of these samples with government agencies. There is also staunch opposition from the bar and restaurant industry associations for obvious reasons. They fear the effects these devices will have on their business and they do not share an enthusiasm to control drunk driving.

Alcohol Interlocks to Control Drunk Driving –Are People Ready for Them?

At present, the initiative is far from being implemented and it may just remain a dream of anti-DUI advocacy groups. Many citizens are not aware of the drive to make alcohol interlocks a standard safety feature on automobiles. As more people find out about these movements, we will be able to get a feel on whether the public is ready for such a move.

Are you concerned about any particular challenges associated with the use of alcohol interlocks on all vehicles? We would like to hear your thoughts on it.

DUI, Drunk DrivingNo Comments »Alcohol Interlocks Drunk Driving DUI