Many drivers believe that just because they are under the legal limit they are safe behind the wheel. However, studies have found that there appears to be no safe level of alcohol in the bloodstream when it comes to driving.
University of California, San Diego researchers studying accidents in the US say that “minimally buzzed” drivers are more often to blame for fatal car crashes than sober drivers. The team used the official US Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) database for the study, which reports on the blood alcohol content (BAC) in increments of 0.01 percent.
That’s not all:
· The researchers focused on “buzzed driving” rather than drunk driving, which is considered as having a BAC of 0.01 percent to 0.07 percent versus 0.08 percent and above, respectively. The team found that drivers with a BAC of 0.01 percent are 46 percent more likely to be “officially and solely” to blame by accident investigators than sober drivers.
· They also determined that the chances of causing a wreck increases steadily and smoothly from BAC 0.01 to 0.24 percent, meaning that there is no sudden transition when comparing a buzzed driver to a drunk driver.
· According to a New York Daily News report, a 180-pound man can consume four beers in one hour and have a BAC of 0.073, which is legal in the state of New York and throughout the country.
· The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended a legal limit of 0.05.
If you’re going to have one drink, two drinks or a few drinks, please don’t get behind the wheel.