Module 4.3: Driving Under the Influence

drugs impair judgement, which means...

...you don't recognize when you should be off the road there are ways to use drugs and alcohol responsibly, but you should make the right decision to not use these things when you need to drive

effects of alcohol

Decreased muscle coordination Slowed reaction time Impaired vision Poor judgment Inability to focus Short-term memory loss Loss of consciousness

skills that driving under the influence prevents

Hand-eye coordination Good reaction time Good judgment Good vision Ability to focus

stimulants

a substance that raises levels of physiological or nervous activity in the body

poor judgement, makes it harder to focus, and can cause short-term memory loss

alcohol affects on body and mind make driving unsafe you can take risks that you wouldn't while sober lack of focus means you're distracted which isn't good while driving short term memory loss can result in forgetting parts of the road you saw--like signs for sharp turns ahead

alternative drugs

all drugs affect mind and body, whether they are prescription, over-the-counter, or illegal could have depressive or sedative effects, like opioids, antihistamines, or painkillers can cause rapid breathing, increased heart rate, sweating, tremors, and racing thoughts

driving under the influence (DUI)

crime or offense of driving or operating a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol or other drugs, including recreational drugs and those prescribed by physicians (drugs, alcohol, caffeine)

safe skills when dealing with impaired road users

don't speed ahead of a suspected impaired driver, if they are behind you you might not be able to watch their location and movements; exception is if they're excessively driving slow if a driver is being aggressive or tailgating, give them room to pass or pull over (better for them to be ahead of you so you can pay close attention to their behavior better) watch out for impaired pedestrians at nighttime--harder to see them, time when people could be out, pay attention

depressant

having the quality of depressing or lowering the vital activities; sedative.

signs you are dealing with impaired road users

inconsistent speed, driving much slower or faster than the speed limit, drifting out of lanes, tailgating, or making aggressive gestures like honking or swerving

slows reaction time

makes it harder to react quickly, which hurts your ability to drive

alcohol safe skills

plan ahead and designate a driver if consumed alcohol, allow an hour and a half or more to pass for each drink before driving--12 oz of beer, 5 oz of wine, or 1.5 oz of spirits counts as one drink waiting allows your body to process it out of your system if not certain if the wait time was long enough, don't drive safest bet is taxi or ride share service

impairs vision

pupils dilate and contract slower, which makes it longer for eyes to adjust to brightness--oncoming headlines are problematic for sober drivers, and negatively impact drivers under the influence even more (could result in temporary loss of vision) reduces sensitivity to contrast which results in eye twitching and double vision

drug safe skills

read warning labels to see if the medicine could affect your fitness to drive--when in doubt ask doctor/pharmacist don't drive immediately after taking a new medicine, check how it affects you assessing if you're impaired by drugs/alcohol is crucial every action behind the wheel is affected by your ability to think, act, and respond if you assess your fitness to drive after consuming drugs/alcohol, your judgement could be impaired already--best time to decide is BEFORE consumption *defensive driving includes watching out for irresponsible road users, take extra precautions around them

decreased muscle coordination

slows down brain and nervous system, which increases the time that it takes your brain to send signals to your muscles, resulting in poor reflexes and coordination

tailgating

when a car drives too closely behind another vehicle. This space is not defined as "one car length" but rather anything less than a four-second space cushion