Drinking And Driving Don't Mix

Many of the effects of drinking alcohol that make people feel relaxed and happy also affect how well they can drive; their chances of having a road accident are much higher. Drinking alcohol affects the body in the following ways:

• You cannot coordinate and control your muscles as well as you can normally.

• It takes longer to react, so it is more difficult to deal with something happening on the road that you didn't expect.

• You are less able to judge speed and distance. Alcohol can also affect people's judgements and emotions.

• When they have been drinking, people often think they are fit to drive when they are not or think that they are driving much better than they really are.

• They often feel more daring and reckless, making them more likely to drive much faster.

The legal limit

As per the Indian Motor Vehicles Act 1988, driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 30mg in 100 ml of blood is illegal anywhere in India. In the USA and many countries in Europe the limit is 10 mg in 100 ml of blood. They are much stricter. This limit was chosen becuase there is a much higher risk of having an accident above it; but even at the legal limit you could be more likely to have an accident than if you hadn't drunk at all! There are no safe guidelines on how much you can drink before you go above the limit because, as we already know, the amount is very different for each person. So the safest thing is not to drink any alcohol at all before driving.

The 'Topping-Up' Effect

Alcohol is removed from the body at a steady rate by the liver. A person who has been drinking during the day might, towards the evening, be feeling much more sober, but he could still have a reasonably high concentration of alcohol in his blood. So much so that just one more drink in the evening may be enough to put him over the legal limit. This is known as the topping-up effect. The topping-up effect, means that it isn't what you have just drunk that matters - it is the total amount drunk that matters - it is the total amount drunk over the previous 12 hours or more.

The fact that alcohol is removed from the body so slowly has another important effect. If someone has had a binge-drinking session, it could be well into the next afternoon before all the alcohol has been removed from the body. This means that many people who drive to work in the morning, after a heavy drinking session the night before, are over the limit and their judgement on the roads is likely to be affected.

Avoiding Drinking and Driving

Most drinking and driving happens when people are trying to get home late at night after going out to a club or party. If you can't avoid driving make sure you stick to soft or non-alcoholic drinks. With a little planning, it is possible to avoid getting into a situation where you and others are tempted to take a chance. If you think you are going to drink you can, for example:

• Leave your car or motorcycle behind and go with a driver who is not drinking.

• Use public transport.

• Arrange to come home by taxi.

• Organise somewhere to stay if you can't arrange for a lift home.

• Take it in turns to be the 'designated driver', if you are a member of a regular group.

If you are giving a party, make sure you have some non-alcoholic drinks for drivers. Finally, if someone who has been drinking looks as if they are going to drive home, you should do your best to prevent them, even confiscating their car keys if necessary. Remember -- people's lives.


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