Addiction and Substance Abuse

Drinking and Driving Don’t Mix!

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2005, 16,885 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes, which is an average of one death every 31 minutes. [1]

In all 50 states, you are driving illegally if your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is .08 or above. Your BAC is affected by many things, including:

The number of drinks that you consumed
How fast you consume your drinks
If you are male or female
How much you weigh
How much food you have had to eat.

However, even if your BAC is lower than .08, drinking small amounts of alcohol can impair your ability to drive. [2]

Drinking and driving is a major concern over the holidays, so you might consider limiting alcohol consumption as this is the best way to avoid car crashes, and other injuries, such as falls. So here are the recommended limits for low risk drinking:

Stay within the recommended drinking limits. Young men should not have more than 14 drinks per week or 4 drinks per day, and young women should not have more than 7 drinks per week or 3 drinks per day. [3] For most adults, moderate alcohol use (up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women and older people) causes very few problems, health-wise. [4]
Do not drink on an empty stomach. Food will help absorb some of the alcohol.
Try to alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

Prevent Drinking and Driving

If you are out at a holiday party, make sure your friends and family, as well as yourself, stay safe by following some simple guidelines:

Assign a Designated Driver- You or someone in your party can volunteer to be the designated driver for the evening, so you can get home safely. Make sure to decide who is the designated driver before the event!
Use Public Transportation- You can take a taxicab or other form of public transportation home, if it is available in your city or town.
Be Smart at Home- Keep guests at your own parties safe by taking away their keys if they become too intoxicated to drive. [5]

Resources:

[1] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Traffic Safety Facts: 2005 Data. http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/ALCOHOLTSF05.PDF

[2] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The ABCs of BAC: A Guide to Understanding Blood Alcohol Concentration and Alcohol Impairment. www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/alcohol/StopImpaired/ABCsBACWeb/page2.htm

[3] National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Young Adult Drinking. pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa68/aa68.htm

[4] National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. What is a Safe Level of Drinking? www.niaaa.nih.gov/FAQs/General-English/default.htm#safe_level

[5] Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Someone You Know Drinks and Drives. www.madd.org/

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Last Reviewed: Nov 21, 2006

Janice Dyehouse, PhD, RN
Associate Director, Institute for Nursing Research
Professor of Nursing
College of Nursing
University of Cincinnati