It
is that time of year when high school students are preparing to graduate and
will soon be entering the mainstream of society. When celebrating
accomplishments and achievements, it is important not to drink and drive. Many
people do not realize that alcohol is a drug. Although it can be purchased
legally if you are 21 years of age or older, alcohol, when consumed, impairs a
person’s ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. As we enter the summer
months, remember you can make the highways safer by avoiding drinking and
driving.
Did You Know:
ALCOHOL AFFECTS YOUR JUDGEMENT: Alcohol is a drug which acts like an anesthetic. When consumed, alcohol passes directly through the wall of the stomach into the bloodstream where it will be distributed throughout the body. Any amount of alcohol will affect a person’s ability to drive to some degree.
ALCOHOL WILL SLOW YOUR REACTION TIME: Drinking alcohol slows reflexes and hinders coordination. Driving is a complex task, which requires the operator to perform several tasks at one time. Drivers who cannot react in time become a danger to themselves and to the motoring public.
ALCOHOL WILL AFFECT YOUR CONCENTRATION: Safe driving requires the driver to divide attention among various tasks. These include steering, signaling, operating the accelerator or the brake, just to mention a few. An impaired driver tends to concentrate on the most important or critical parts of driving and disregards less important parts of driving. This increases the likelihood of being involving in a traffic collision.
ALCOHOL CAN AFFECT YOUR VISION: A driver must have good vision when operating a motor vehicle. This includes having good side vision as well as being able to see while driving at night. When alcohol is consumed, it can make it difficult to see vehicles approaching from either the right or left, or it can cause blurry vision.
ALCOHOL-RELATED CRASHES KILL MORE YOUNG PEOPLE THAN ANY OTHER CAUSE: Driving gives most teenagers the feeling of freedom and independence. During this time in their lives, many will have their first encounter with alcohol or drugs. Mixing alcohol and drugs with driving increases the risk of being involved in a traffic collision and increases the risk of being seriously injured or killed.
California Vehicle Code Laws on Driving-Under-the-Influence of Alcohol
Section 23136 of the California Vehicle Code (CVC) states it is unlawful for a person under the age of 21 years who has a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.01 percent or greater, as measured by a preliminary alcohol screening device, to drive a vehicle. This is called the Zero Tolerance Law and it provides the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) with a means to penalize minors (one to three-year suspension or revocation of a driver’s license) who choose to drink and drive but are not considered under the influence. It also gives law enforcement the authority to take a minor’s driver’s license and return it to DMV.
Section 23140 CVC states it is unlawful for a person under the age of 21 years who has a BAC of 0.05 percent or more to operate a motor vehicle. Anyone arrested for this offense will have his or her driver’s license suspended for at least one year. If he or she does not have a driver’s license, the offender must wait an additional year before one will be issued.
Section 23152 CVC states it unlawful for any person who is under the influence of any alcoholic beverage or drug, or under the combined influence of any alcoholic beverage and drug, to drive a vehicle. Section 23152 CVC further states it is unlawful for a driver of a vehicle to have a BAC of 0.08 percent, and a driver of a commercial vehicle to have a BAC of 0.04 percent.
So, how many drinks does it take to reach a BAC to be legally under the influence?
There are several factors that contribute to a person’s level of impairment. A person’s body weight, the amount of food that has been consumed, how fast alcoholic beverages are consumed, and a person’s mood can all play a role. Also, the different types of alcoholic beverages consumed make a difference. Twelve ounces of beer has 5 percent alcohol, 5 ounces of table wine has 12 percent alcohol, and 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor has 40 percent alcohol. All of these have about the same amount of pure alcohol, which is approximately 0.6 ounces.
Don’t Drink and Drive!
Did You Know:
ALCOHOL AFFECTS YOUR JUDGEMENT: Alcohol is a drug which acts like an anesthetic. When consumed, alcohol passes directly through the wall of the stomach into the bloodstream where it will be distributed throughout the body. Any amount of alcohol will affect a person’s ability to drive to some degree.
ALCOHOL WILL SLOW YOUR REACTION TIME: Drinking alcohol slows reflexes and hinders coordination. Driving is a complex task, which requires the operator to perform several tasks at one time. Drivers who cannot react in time become a danger to themselves and to the motoring public.
ALCOHOL WILL AFFECT YOUR CONCENTRATION: Safe driving requires the driver to divide attention among various tasks. These include steering, signaling, operating the accelerator or the brake, just to mention a few. An impaired driver tends to concentrate on the most important or critical parts of driving and disregards less important parts of driving. This increases the likelihood of being involving in a traffic collision.
ALCOHOL CAN AFFECT YOUR VISION: A driver must have good vision when operating a motor vehicle. This includes having good side vision as well as being able to see while driving at night. When alcohol is consumed, it can make it difficult to see vehicles approaching from either the right or left, or it can cause blurry vision.
ALCOHOL-RELATED CRASHES KILL MORE YOUNG PEOPLE THAN ANY OTHER CAUSE: Driving gives most teenagers the feeling of freedom and independence. During this time in their lives, many will have their first encounter with alcohol or drugs. Mixing alcohol and drugs with driving increases the risk of being involved in a traffic collision and increases the risk of being seriously injured or killed.
California Vehicle Code Laws on Driving-Under-the-Influence of Alcohol
Section 23136 of the California Vehicle Code (CVC) states it is unlawful for a person under the age of 21 years who has a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.01 percent or greater, as measured by a preliminary alcohol screening device, to drive a vehicle. This is called the Zero Tolerance Law and it provides the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) with a means to penalize minors (one to three-year suspension or revocation of a driver’s license) who choose to drink and drive but are not considered under the influence. It also gives law enforcement the authority to take a minor’s driver’s license and return it to DMV.
Section 23140 CVC states it is unlawful for a person under the age of 21 years who has a BAC of 0.05 percent or more to operate a motor vehicle. Anyone arrested for this offense will have his or her driver’s license suspended for at least one year. If he or she does not have a driver’s license, the offender must wait an additional year before one will be issued.
Section 23152 CVC states it unlawful for any person who is under the influence of any alcoholic beverage or drug, or under the combined influence of any alcoholic beverage and drug, to drive a vehicle. Section 23152 CVC further states it is unlawful for a driver of a vehicle to have a BAC of 0.08 percent, and a driver of a commercial vehicle to have a BAC of 0.04 percent.
So, how many drinks does it take to reach a BAC to be legally under the influence?
There are several factors that contribute to a person’s level of impairment. A person’s body weight, the amount of food that has been consumed, how fast alcoholic beverages are consumed, and a person’s mood can all play a role. Also, the different types of alcoholic beverages consumed make a difference. Twelve ounces of beer has 5 percent alcohol, 5 ounces of table wine has 12 percent alcohol, and 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor has 40 percent alcohol. All of these have about the same amount of pure alcohol, which is approximately 0.6 ounces.
Don’t Drink and Drive!
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