THE EFFECTS ON DRIVER PERFORMANCE OF BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATIONS BELOW 50 MG% WERE STUDIED IN TWO CONTEXTS: (1) IN A CRITICAL CAR DRIVING SITUATION INVOLVING EMERGENCY BRAKING AND EVASIVE MANEUVERS AND (2) IN A "SURPRISE" SITUATION THAT FOLLOWED THE FIRST ONE AND FEATURED THE SUDDEN APPEARANCE OF A MAN-SHAPED OBSTACLE BLOCKING THE ROADWAY. THE RESULTS INDICATE THE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL AT A TOTAL BAC-AVERAGE OF 42 MG%. IN THE BRAKING AND MANEUVERING TASK, DRIVERS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL HIT SIGNIFICANTLY MORE PYLONS AND TOOK SIGNIFICANTLY LONGER DISTANCES TO STOP. THERE WAS ALSO A STRONG TENDENCY FOR ALCOHOL TO IMPAIR PERFORMANCE IN THE SURPRISE SITUATION. UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL FIVE DRIVERS OUT OF TEN COLLIDED WITH THE OBSTACLE; THIS WAS THE CASE FOR ONLY ONE DRIVER OUT OF TEN IN THE CONTROL (NON-ALCOHOL) CONDITION.(Author/publisher).
Abstract