1997 Oldsmobile Bravada Owner's Manual - Page 137

But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC of 0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills of many people are impaired at a BAC approaching 0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night. All drivers are impaired at BAC levels above 0.05 percent. Statistics show that the chance of being in a collision increases sharply for drivers who have a BAC of 0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level of 0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of having a collision. At a BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance of this driver having a collision is 12 times greater; at a level of 0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times greater! The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold showers will speed that up. "I'll be careful" isn't the right answer. What if there's an emergency, a need to take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street? A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able to react quickly enough to avoid the collision. There's something else about drinking and driving that many people don't know. Medical research shows that alcohol in a person's system can make crash injuries worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord or heart. This means that when anyone who has been drinking -- driver or passenge.r -- is in a crash, that person's chance of being killed or permanently disabled is higher than if the person had not been drinking. Drinking and then driving is very dangerous. Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and judgment can be affected by even a small amount of alcohol. You can have a serious or even fatal collision if you drive after drinking. Please don't drink and drive or ride with a driver who has been drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if you're with a group, designate a driver who will not drink. -- --