Overview

Alcohol intoxication leads to drunk driving. Drunk driving is one of the major causes of serious car accidents. Drunk driving impacts your vision, speech and motion control. Which makes driving a car very dangerouse

"Vehicles must not be driven by anyone who, due to illness, fatigue, the influence of alcohol, other stimulating or anesthetic substances or for other reasons, cannot drive the vehicle in a safe manner."
drunk driving

Other similar dangerous conditions like drunk driving

  • Fatigue
  • Tiredness
  • Stress
  • Peer pressure

Percentage of alcohol and the impact it has on the human body

Alcohol Percentage Impact
0,1–0,4% Your inhibitions decreases. Over estimate your own ability. Slower reaction time.
0,4–1,0% Vision, speech and coordination is effected
1,0–2,0% Balance is effected and difficulty controlling your body. Double vision
2,0–3,5% Deep sleep
Over 3,5% Risk of coma and or death

How much alcohol is in a beer?

  • 1 low-alcohol beer (33 cl) 2.2% = 1.8 cl spirits
  • 1 mid-strength beer (50 cl) 3.5% = 4.3 cl spirits
  • 1 full-strength beer (33 cl) 5.5% = 4.5 cl spirits
  • 1 full-strength beer (50 cl) 7.2% = 9 cl spirits
  • 1 glass of wine (15 cl) 13% = 4.9 cl spirits
  • 1 bottle of wine (75 cl) 13% = 24.3 cl spirits

Calculating the percentage of alcohol in a beer or drink

Use the following formula to calculate questions surrounding spirits/alcohol and cl.

Volume of spirits = (% by volume) * (volume in cl) / 40
Example 1: How much alcohol (40%) corresponds to 33 cl of beer with 8% alcohol by volume?

Formula = (% by volume) * (volume in cl)  / 40
8 * 33 / 40 = 6.6 cl ~ 6.5 cl alcohol



Example 2: How much spirits (40%) corresponds to 50 cl of light beer with 3.5 % alcohol by volume?
3.5 * 50 / 40 = 4.38 ~ 4 cl alcohol



Example 3: Is it true that 100 cl of light beer (3.5%) contains as much alcohol as 50 cl of strong beer (7.0%)?

Formula = (% by volume) * (volume in cl)  / 40
Light beer: (3.5 * 100 / 40) = 8.75 cl
Strong beer: (7.0 * 50 / 40)= 8.75 cl
Thus the answer is yes

Statistics on drunk driving

  • 40-50% of drivers that die in a single car accident was under the influence of alcohol
  • 70 people per year are killed in alcohol related trffic accidents (This equals 20% of the total number killed each year)
  • Every day there are 15,000–20,000 intoxicated drivers.
  • Every year, 30,000 people are arrested for drunk driving. Drugs are to blame for 10,000 of these.
  • 30% of cyclists and pedestrians killed were under the influence of alcohol.
  • 90% of the drunk drivers are men, primarily younger and middle-aged.
  • These numbers overrepresent the number of young drivers. They are more likely to be killed when they drive while intoxicated.

Law and alcohol level

Drunk driving

  • Anyone with 0.2% > alcohol per mile (0.1 mg alcohol per liter of exhaled air) is guilty of drunk driving
  • Fine and or prison sentence for up to 6 month
  • A warning is usually given if the blood alcohol level was below 0.5mg. If there was no other offences. If there was other offence the License is revoked for 6 months - 3 years
  • 1 or 3 years with a mandatory alcolock

Aggrevated drunk driving

  • Anyone with 1% > alcohol per mile (> 0.5 mg alcohol per liter of exhaled air) is guilty of aggrevated drunk driving
  • Prison sentence for up to 2 years
  • If manslaughter: Prison sentence for up to 6 years
  • License revoked for 2 years
  • 2 years with a mandatory alcolock
  • You can be found guilty of aggrevated drunk driving if your blood level was below 1.0mg (If it can be proven that your driving caused a serious risk for other drivers)
  • If your license was revoked due to aggrevated drunk driving. A doctors note on the status of your drinking habits is required (Blood test on the liver every 6 months)

Alcolock or driving license revoke

As of 2012 there was a new law passed that allows drivers an option between having their drivers license revoked or using an alcolocks

  • The alcolock must be used for a year or two (Relating to the traffic insident).
  • This option can only be used for drunk driving related insidents

Consideration regarding drinking

  • Feeling sober is not the same as being sober
  • The law on alcohol and drunk driving applies to all motor vehicles
  • You cant speed up the break down of alcohol in your body in any manner (Its a natural process)
  • The day after you drank you tend to feel more worn out and can still be intoxicated (Refrain from driving the next day)
  • Alcohol effects people differently. Your weight, health, gender, drinking speed and food choices effects how your body will absorb alcohol
  • People that do sports tend to get drunker faster due to their fast metabolism
  • The law on alcohol and drunk driving applies also in private property (Anywhere where you drive a car)