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Drink driving can be deadly (and equal to using a cellphone):
Drinking
impairs judgment while driving, especially beyond the .05 BAC level where it impairs it significantly. However, tolerance
is necessary. Reasonable limits are to be sought. But just what is reasonable? Science and society must find a reasonable
compromise.
Estimate
YOUR blood alcohol content after several drinks (see below).
For
20-29 yr olds (a high-risk group) the risk almost triples from 20
times more likely to have a fatal accident at .05 blood alcohol content...to over 50 times
more likely to have a fatal accident at .08 BAC.
Are you likely to have an accident? Click on graph - shows
previous (.08) and recently changed NEW limits of (.05):
| The effects of alcohol on driving (New Zealand) |
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| Click image to enlarge |
New
Zealand recently reduced the limit from .08 to .05 BAC. Link.
Note, there is a ZERO limit for BAC for drivers <20 years of age - NO DRINKS! Link.
And
don't forget research shows that using a hands-free cellphone while driving has an effect on driving similar or worse than
driving drunk.
The
research worldwide shows that road accidents, especially the many horrible non-fatal crashes, significantly decrease where
.05 limits (or less) have been introduced.
The .05 level is socially workable. Although the absolute safest level of alcohol while driving
is NONE, if you feel you must have a small social drink, follow these STRICT guidelines:
Men: 2 drinks max in first
hour, 1 per hour after.
Women: 1 drink per hour.
Here is
a useful table showing how many drinks equate to BAC for both men and women of different body weights. It clearly shows what
level you will likely be at if you do choose to drink and drive -
Table: Approximate blood alcohol percentage
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