MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --
Each year lives are lost, families shattered and careers are ended because of the miscalculations made by people who roll the dice and choose to get behind the wheel of a vehicle.
These people convince themselves they can drive, even when they have alcohol in their system. According to
www.alcoholalert. com, a few common misconceptions are addressed.
Common myths:
Coffee will wake me up enough to drive safely. Only time will rid your body of alcohol. Caffeine in coffee will make you jittery but it cannot keep you alert and restore judgment lost to alcohol consumption.
I stay with beer and never drink the hard stuff so I'll be fine to drive. Alcohol is alcohol. A 12 ounce beer has as much alcohol as 1.5 ounces of whiskey or 5 ounces of wine. Many people, who believe this, drink more beer and become more intoxicated than if they had only consumed one or two whiskeys.
Bigger people can handle their alcohol better so they can drink and still drive. The first drink of alcohol begins to slow your motor skills, vision and judgment. It is true that body size does figure in the rate alcohol affects you, but you must also consider individual metabolism, the amount of rest you had and when you last ate. All of this makes for some very complex calculations regarding when you are safe to drive.
As long as I roll down the window and get some fresh air, I'll be fine. I'll turn up the radio really loud. I'll splash cold water on my face. One more time - alcohol is alcohol is alcohol. Time is the only way to lower your blood-alcohol level. Cold wind or cold water in your face will not return your alertness, motor skills or judgment.
When I've been drinking, I compensate by driving very slowly. Drinking and driving is not safe at any speed. In fact, even driving too slowly will make you a traffic hazard and could cause a crash.
Some urban legends are not true when it comes to DUIs. The only way to avoid a DUI is to have a plan that includes a designated driver prior to having a drink.