NCJ Number
16764
Date Published
Unknown
Length
0 pages
Annotation
THE EXTENT TO WHICH DRIVING SKILLS ARE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY VARYING AMOUNTS OF ALCOHOL INTAKE IS THE PRIMARY SUBJECT OF THIS FILM.
Abstract
ALCOHOL IMPAIRED DRIVING IS CONSIDERED THE MOST PREVALENT SINGLE FACTOR IN TRAFFIC DEATHS. A BRIEF HISTORY OF RESEARCH FINDINGS RELATED TO THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON THE BODY IS PRESENTED. THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE FILM TRACES A BEFORE AND AFTER DRINKING TEST OF THE DRIVING PATTERNS OF SIX SKILLED DRIVERS, WHO HAD BEEN SERVED VARYING AMOUNTS OF ALCOHOL. AFTER DRINKING, SPEED INCREASED AND THE SMOOTHNESS AND ACCURACY OF MANEUVERABILITY LESSENED. THE MAIN POINT THE FILM DRAWS FROM THE TESTING IS THAT SIGNIFICANT DRIVING IMPAIRMENT OCCURS AT BLOOD-ALCOHOL LEVELS BELOW THOSE GENERALLY PRESCRIBED IN STATE LAWS. IT IS STATED THAT AT .15 BLOODALCOHOL LEVEL, THE PROBABILITY OF AN ACCIDENT IS TWENTY FIVE TIMES THAT AT ZERO BLOOD-ALCOHOL LEVEL. THE FILM'S RECOMMENDED LEGAL MINIMUM LEVEL FOR DRIVING IS .10 PERCENT. THE FILM IS PARTICULARY ORIENTED TOWARD THOSE IN POSITIONS TO INFLUENCE THE SUBSTANCE OF ALCOHOL RELATED TRAFFIC LAWS. (SNI ABSTRACT)