The response of the driver is the ability to apply the brake in time in case of obstacles and the recognition of traffic light colors. This is a very difficult job for the mechanisms of the human body. On the road you need to be very careful and be able to respond instantly, because even a matter of seconds can cost someone's life. How does alcohol affect driver reaction time? SDA say the following.
Factors that affect the reaction of a motorist
Certain factors influence the ability to react in time: preliminary and motor. Even a sober person should have an instant reaction while driving. The braking distance can be much closer than it seems. Several factors influence this:
- weather;
- speed with which the car is traveling;
- road moisture;
- quality and features of the road surface.
The length of the path traveled by the car during the reaction of the driver is affected by:
- visibility, which includes the degree of illumination of the road, weather conditions, dust;
- the degree of fatigue of a person sitting behind the wheel;
- qualifications, experience;
- age;
- well-being and general condition: vision, the presence of alcohol in the blood.
The reaction starts from approximately 0.4 to 1.5 seconds. at a speed of 50 km per hour for 1.5 sec. the car will travel 20.8 m. But with the use of alcohol, this time period increases. So, how does alcohol affect the reaction time of the driver and the driving process as a whole?
Ethanol Based Drinks
Alcoholic beverages are beverages that contain ethanol. There are many alcoholic drinks, most of them produced as a result of fermentation. This fluid has a calming and suppressing effect on the central nervous system and the human body as a whole. Not a sober person - this is a potential killer behind the wheel, not only himself, but also those around him. When drinking alcohol, the driver's reaction decreases, the criticality of the assessment of the situation is violated, and any consequences are possible. Alcohol negatively affects the entire human body, it affects, first of all, the cardiovascular system, the heart dies most quickly, cancer, brain damage.
Is it possible to drive tipsy?
Driving drunk is generally not acceptable to any person. After all, if a person drank, then his consciousness is violated. The driver’s attitude towards his condition is dangerous. Alcohol has a powerful effect on the functioning of the nervous system. This is due to its unusual qualities, because most molecules instantly dissolve in water and fats. Since alcohol dissolves perfectly in water and in fats, there are no barriers for it in the human body. Accordingly, the C2H5OH molecule penetrates anywhere, including the brain.
Norms and doses
Alcohol is measured in ppm. A ppm is ten times less than a percentage. Accordingly, 0.01% = 0.1 ppm. The permissible norm that is not considered intoxication is 0-0.3 ppm - this is the natural background of a person (endogenous alcohol). If the breathalyzer shows from 0.3 to 0.5 ppm - this is a minor effect of alcohol. Alcohol intoxication is not considered, but checking the condition of the driver is possible in the presence of other signs. Only medical personnel have the right to make an opinion on the condition of the driver. From 0.5 to 1.5 ppm is a mild intoxication. Driving while intoxicated is a reason for the driver to be deprived of a driver’s license for a period of three years. For any survey, you need to require a replacement mouthpiece. Indeed, police often use such a trick - alcohol-soaked fleece in devices. Learn more about how alcohol affects the driver’s reaction time further.
Action control
During intoxication, the driver does not particularly control his actions, of course, everything depends on the dose of the drink. The result of this, the driver does not assess the situation of the road, and considers his actions and capabilities high. A drunk driver is much more dangerous than a driver who is tired or who is sick. Indeed, in such cases, the driver is aware of and controls the situation, he knows what his capabilities are and does not overestimate them. Alcohol and driver reactions are the opposite. A sober driver, unlike a drunk driver, does not drive at high speed, does not perform any stunts on the road, if he sees any obstacles - he slows down in advance, concentrates all his attention on the road and signs, drives carefully. A drunk driver drives exactly the opposite.
Basics of traffic rules: the effect of alcohol on driver reaction time
A drunk person has a feeling of very high self-confidence, and he is not afraid of anything, therefore he often makes difficult maneuvers on the road, exceeds speed, does not pay attention to traffic signs. As a result of which very often drunk drivers violate the rules of the road and create emergency situations. Often there are times when a drunk driver, seeing a pedestrian, drives at high speed, because he believes that he will have time to drive. But the coordination of movements and the reaction are slow, so it seems to him that the pedestrian is far away, but in fact he is close. Seeing a pedestrian nearby, he presses the brake, and it seems to him that he pressed on time, but this is not so, the driver pressed late. And in the end, an innocent person suffers.
With a slight effect of alcohol, distraction or aggressiveness appears.
With light intoxication, the response time of the driver increases by one and a half times. There is a risk of knocking down a pedestrian.
With average intoxication, the driver’s reaction deteriorates by 6–9 times, the risk is high that the driver will fall asleep while driving.
With severe intoxication, the driver does not control himself at all.
With severe intoxication, the driver may lose consciousness, and get into an accident or get poisoned by alcohol.
Therefore, if a person has drunk even 50 grams of alcohol, he does not need to drive to save his life and those around him. If you need to get somewhere, it’s better to call a taxi, it will be much safer.
After you find out how alcohol affects the driver’s reaction time, it’s worth considering whether to drink and drive.