Chapter 11 – ALCOHOL AND TRAFFIC SAFETY

ALCOHOL AND TRAFFIC SAFETY

Millions of people take drugs every day and don’t realize these drugs can affect their driving. Alcohol, tranquilizers, marijuana, or any other drug, can affect the mental and physical skills needed to drive. Even some over-the-counter medicines can affect driving skills.

NATIONAL ALCOHOL-RELATED TRAFFIC STATISTICS

• In the United States, a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) level of .08 or higher is considered above the legal limit in nearly every state.
• In 2019, 10,142 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third of all traffic-related deaths in the United States.
• In every state, it’s illegal to drive drunk, yet one person was killed in a drunk-driving crash every 52 minutes in the United States in 2019.
• On average over the 10-year period from 2010-2019, more than 10,000 people died every year in drunk-driving crashes.
• The Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates 1,024,508 drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics in 2019. The arrest rate works out to one arrest for about every 222 licensed drivers in the United States.

TEXAS ALCOHOL-RELATED TRAFFIC STATISTICS

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs was a contributing factor in 8% of crashes. However, alcohol or drugs accounted for 28% of all fatal crashes in Texas.

Texas has edged out California once again as the state with the most alcohol-related motor-vehicle fatalities and the highest number of fatalities with drivers over the .08% legal limit.

SOBERING TEXAS STATISTICS

• In 2019, there were 886 people killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes where a driver was under the influence of alcohol. This is 25% of the total number of people killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes.
• During 2019, more DUI – Alcohol crashes were reported in the hour between 2:00 am and 2:59 am than any other hour of the day. Also, more of these crashes occurred on Saturday than any other day of the week.
• The age group with the most alcohol crashes was 21 – 25 year olds making up 22.17%. 26 – 30 year olds came in second (16.75%) and 31 – 35 year olds at 14.29%
• In 2019, 886 people lost their lives to DUI incidents in Texas, including 48 pedestrians and cyclists, 109 passengers in vehicles driven by DUI drivers, 591 DUI drivers, 135 persons in vehicles not driven by DUI drivers and one other.
• Of 17,751 DUI crashes, the five cities with the highest number of crashes were Houston: 2,436, San Antonio: 1,873, Austin: 1,176, Dallas: 1,071 and El Paso: 691
• The deadliest hour of the day for DUI crashes occur between 2:00 -2:59 am.
• The two highest days for alcohol related crashes/fatalities are Saturday (5851) and Sunday (5,744).

PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS

Absorption: Alcohol is primarily absorbed through the stomach and the small intestines. It is considered a food because it has calories, but does not need to be digested and proceeds directly into the body through the digestive system. After ingestion it is carried through the blood stream and crosses the blood–brain barrier, at which time impairment begins. A greater amount of ingestion causes greater impairment to the brain, which, in turn, causes a person to have a greater degree of difficulty in functioning.

Metabolism/ Elimination: The majority of alcohol in the body is eliminated by the liver. Ninety percent is eliminated through the body, while ten percent is eliminated (unchanged) through sweat and urine. Before the liver can process alcohol, a threshold amount is needed and can occur at the rate of one 12 oz. can of beer, one 5 oz. glass of wine, or 1 1/2 oz. shot of whiskey per hour.

Alcohol begins to affect individuals prior to reaching the legally intoxicated Blood Alcohol Concentration level of .08%. If a 150 lb. person consumes one drink equal to twelve ounces of beer (5 percent alcohol), five ounces of wine (12 percent alcohol) or one-and-a-half ounces of hard liquor (40 percent alcohol), all would contain about the same amount of alcohol and would raise the person’s Blood Alcohol Concentration about .02%. It takes the liver approximately one hour to oxidize or metabolize one drink.

THE STAGES of INTOXICATION

When an individual ingests alcohol, there are definite, visible changes in their performance and behavior. An increase in a person’s blood alcohol content (BAC) can be tracked in five stages:

1. Euphoria (BAC = .01-.12)
   • The person becomes more confident and daring.
   • They have trouble paying attention.
   • They have more color in their face.
   • They lack good judgment, acting on impulse.
   • They find tasks requiring fine motor control difficult.

2. Excitement (BAC .09-.25)

• • The person may become sleepy.
  • Their short term memory is impaired.
  • Their reaction time is greatly reduced.
  • Their gross motor skills are uncoordinated.
  • They have trouble maintaining their balance.
  • Vision becomes blurry.
  • Their senses become dull (hearing, tasting, touch, etc.)

3. Confusion (BAC .18-.30)

• • The person might not know where they are or what they are doing.
  • Walking may be difficult.
  • Emotions run high – aggressive, withdrawn, very affectionate.
  • Vision is very blurry.
  • They are very sleepy.
  • The sensation of pain is dulled.

4. Stupor (BAC .25 – .49)
   • The person can barely move.
   • They do not respond to external stimuli.
   • Walking or standing is impossible.
   • They may vomit repeatedly.
   • They may become unconscious.

5. Coma (BAC .35-.50)

• • The person is unconscious.
  • Pupils are unresponsive to light.
  • Body temperature is lower than normal.
  • Breathing is shallow.
  • Pulse rate is slow.
  • Death may occur.

DRIVER PERFORMANCE

Impairment of the most important skills can occur at a very low blood alcohol concentration (BAC). The skills involved in driving a motor vehicle include psychomotor skills, vision, perception, tracking (steering), information processing, and attention. All of these functions are impaired by alcohol, although they differ in the extent of their impairment at any given BAC.

The brain’s control of eye movements is highly vulnerable to alcohol. In driving, the eyes must focus briefly on important objects in the visual field and track them as they (and the vehicle) move. Low to moderate BAC’s (0.03 to 0.05 percent) interfere with voluntary eye movements, impairing the eye’s ability to rapidly track a moving target.

Significant impairment in steering ability may begin as low as approximately 0.035 percent BAC and rises as BAC increases.

Alcohol-impaired drivers require more time to read a street sign or to respond to a traffic signal than unimpaired drivers; consequently, they tend to look at fewer sources of information. Alcohol creates a narrowing of the attention field beginning at approximately 0.04 percent BAC.

Alcohol-impaired drivers tend to concentrate on steering, becoming less vigilant with respect to safety information. Divided attention deficits occur as low as 0.02 percent BAC.

LEGAL ASPECTS

It is illegal to possess an open container of an alcoholic beverage in a passenger area of a motor vehicle that is located on a public highway, regardless of whether the vehicle is being operated, stopped, or parked. Conviction of this offense is punishable by a fine not to exceed $500.00. Possession of an open container of an alcoholic beverage increases the minimum term of confinement by 6 days for the first offense.

The definition for intoxication includes both alcohol and drugs.

Texas is a state with a ten-year ‘washout period,’ also known as a ‘look back period’; this means that a prior conviction is not admissible after ten years. If it is ten years and one day since a driver was convicted of DUI, that driver will be considered a first-time offender. If a driver commits a DUI within ten years of the first DUI, they are considered guilty of a second offense and are subjected to harsher punishments.

First DWI – Drunk Driving Conviction – MISDEMEANOR

The penalty for a first DWI – drunk driving conviction in Texas:

• up to $2,000 fine
• 72 hours to 180 days in jail
• 90 days to 1 year drivers license suspension
• possible ignition interlock restriction
• SR22 insurance requirement

Second DWI – Drunk Driving Conviction – MISDEMEANOR

The penalty for a second DWI – drunk driving conviction in Texas:

• up to $4,000 fine
• 30 days to 1 year in jail
• 6 months to 2 years drivers license suspension
• possible ignition interlock restriction
• SR22 insurance requirement

Third DWI – Drunk Driving Conviction – felony

The penalty for a third DWI – drunk driving conviction in Texas:

• up to $10,000 fine
• 2 years to 10 years in jail
• up to 2 years drivers license suspension
• possible ignition interlock restriction

DWI and Driving with Minor: It is a felony to drive while intoxicated with a minor younger than 15 years of age in the vehicle.

ZERO TOLERANCE LAW

In 1997, the Texas Legislature passed the Zero Tolerance Law for minors (anyone under 21 years of age). This law says that even if a minor is NOT intoxicated as defined by the DWI statute, if the minor has ANY detectable amount of alcohol in their system while driving in a public place, the minor has committed the criminal offense of Driving Under The Influence of Alcohol by a Minor (DUI by a Minor). On September 1, 2009, this law was expanded to include watercraft in addition to motor vehicles.

• The consequences for the minor on the first offense of driving under the influence of alcohol:
  • Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $500
  • Attendance at an alcohol awareness class
  • 20 to 40 hours of mandatory community service
  • 60 days driver’s license suspension. The minor would not be eligible for an occupational license for the first 30 days.
• A second offense increases the consequences to:
  • Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $500
  • Attendance at an alcohol awareness class at the judge’s discretion
  • 40 to 60 hours of mandatory community service
  • 120 days driver’s license suspension. The minor would not be eligible for an occupational license for the first 90 days.
• A third offense is not eligible for deferred adjudication. The minor’s driver’s license is suspended for 180 days and an occupational license may not be obtained for the entire suspension period. If the minor is 17 years of age or older, the fine increases to $500 to $2,000, plus confinement in jail for up to 180 days, or both.

It is a crime to refuse to submit to a chemical test in Texas and implied consent laws are enforced.

PENALITIES for REFUSING to SUBMIT to a CHEMICAL TEST in TEXAS

In Texas, if the accused refuses to take a chemical test of their blood, breath or urine, their driver’s license will be suspended or revoked.

In addition to the penalties for DUI, you will face:

FIRST CHEMICAL TEST REFUSAL

• 180 days drivers license suspension

SECOND AND SUBSEQUENT REFUSALS

• Within ten years of DWI arrest; license suspension of two years

SYNERGISTIC EFFECTS

Synergistic is the capacity of two or more drugs acting together. The combined effect is more intense than the separate effects combined.

MIXING ALCOHOL and OTHER DRUGS

The most dangerous thing to mix with a sedative (alcohol) is another sedative or “downer”.  The combination can lead to extreme depression of the Central Nervous System (CNS) and be fatal.

Acid (LSD = LYSERGIC ACID DIETHYLAMIDE)
When LSD is combined with alcohol, the visual hallucinations common in a trip often decrease, and the user often finds themselves able to consume more alcohol than normal without experiencing the same level of inebriation.

Cocaine/Crack

When people mix cocaine and alcohol consumption, they are compounding the danger each drug poses and unknowingly forming a complex chemical experiment within their bodies. Cocaine abuse coupled with use of alcohol leads to more impulsive decision-making and to poorer performance. Dehydration and seizurs can result from cocaine use.

Ecstasy
Drinking alcohol while using the enactogen Ecstasy (MDMA) can be very dangerous because it increases dehydration. One of the primary dangers in taking either of these drugs by themselves is the chance of dehydration that could be dangerous. Together, the dehydration effect is compounded and the risk is higher. Further, MDMA decreases the body’s ability to regulate body temperature, and alcohol can raise body temperature, increasing chances of death by hypertension.

GHB
GHB has a reputation for being added to alcoholic drinks because it causes black-out periods to the person who drinks it (hence its use as a date-rape drug). GHB is a depressant and is thus dangerous when used in tandem with alcohol. The combined effect can slow respiration and heart rate to a dangerous level.

Heroin
The heroin high is characterized by the depression of the central nervous system (CNS). In an overdose, breathing stops. It is dangerous to drink alcohol while using heroin as the compounded effect of CNS depressant can potentiate a heroin overdose.

Marijuana
Smoking pot when drinking alcohol can suppress the drinkers sensations of nausea or need to vomit, making overdose more possible. When a person has consumed enough alcohol that alcohol poisoning is a concern, their body needs to vomit. Pot suppresses the instinct to vomit, and excess alcohol is not expelled, making overdose more likely.

Even typical social doses of marijuana can effect concentration, judgment, and the sensory and perceptual skills needed for careful driving.

Methamphetamine (Speed)
Use of Methamphetamine with alcohol will not counteract the effects of methamphetamine, but merely mask the effects. This is dangerous because the user will be less aware of the effect that the drug is having on his or her body. In other words, even though the high is lessened, the physical effects such as heart rate are not affected. Hence, the user’s sense of when their body needs them to stop will be skewed.

Mushrooms
There are no known dangerous physical interactions between alcohol and mushrooms. However, mushrooms are unpredictable, and mixing them with anything makes them more unpredictable.

PCP/Special K
The most dangerous substances to mix with PCP and Special K are alcohol and other sedatives. Make no mistake, this combination can kill you.

CNS Depressants
Using alcohol with other depressants and narcotics compounds the depression of the CNS and can be fatal. These include heroin, morphine, opium, and barbiturates.

MIXING ALCOHOL WITH PRESCRIPTION DRUGS/MEDICATIONS

Antihistamines
Alcohol and antihistamines affect one another additively, meaning that they make the effects of one another stronger and this potentiate overdose.

Anti-Infection drugs
When used with anti-infection drugs like Mandol, Cefobid, Cefotan, Furoxone, INH, Flagella, Metrical, Protostat, and Moxam, alcohol can cause rapid heart rate, nausea, and liver damage.

Ativan
Drugs like Ativan, Equagesic, Equanil, Miltown, Serax, Centrax, Doral, Restoril, Halcion cause dizziness, forgetfulness, coma, and heart failure when used with alcohol.

Barbiturates
Barbiturates (Amytal, Butisol, Nembutal, Seconal, Luminal, Pentothal and Tuinalare) are CNS Depressants. This can lead to dizziness, forgetfulness, coma and death.

Benzodiazepines
Drinking alcohol while taking Benzodiazepine sleeping medications is detrimental because it can increase drowsiness, decrease normal breathing, and result in coma.

Elavil
Antidepressant drugs such as Elavil, Endep, Adapin and Sinequan will increase the intoxicating effects of alcohol.

MAO Inhibitors
Antidepressants that are MAO inhibitors have a deadly reaction when mixed with the chemical tyramine, which is found in some wines and beers. The mixture will cause a release of the neurotransmitter Norepinephrine, which can cause a dramatic rise in blood pressure, leading to brain hemorrhage and death in extreme cases.

Narcotics
Mixing alcohol with narcotic drugs such as Dilaudid can result in increased intoxication, coma, and death. The effect of combining a narcotic and alcohol is synergistic.

Sedatives/Anti-anxiety/Sleep medications
(Drugs like Xanax, Seconal, Amytal, Butisol, Nembutal, Noctec, Librium, Valium, Prosom, Dalmone, and Tranxene) When combined with alcohol these drugs can lead to dizziness, forgetfulness, coma and death.

Tagamet
The gastro-intestinal drug Tagamet will increase the bodies BAL (blood alcohol level), making overdose, or alcohol poisoning, more likely.

Verapamil
The heart drug Verapamil may increase intoxication when mixed with alcohol.

COUNTERMEASURES

Some myths about drinking alcohol say that taking cold showers, drinking black coffee, or exercising will sober a person up. This is not true. Only time, body weight, the number of drinks, and how much has been eaten can effect how long it takes anyone to ‘sober up”.

It takes about one hour for the body to get rid of each “drink”. If a person has had more than one drink an hour, one hour of “sobering up” time should be allowed for each extra drink. Better still, someone who has not been drinking should drive.

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