These days, you constantly hear how drinking and driving is constantly getting worse and that more laws should be passed to prevent this from occuring. But how much are these laws really helping?
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is considering lowering the blood alcohol content (BAC) limit from .08 to .05. France has already mandated that all drivers carry a breathalyzer wherever they drive. This may sound like a good idea, but if you use your breathalyzer, you are no longer allowed to drive by law because you used your breathalyzer. Now you're stuck looking to get a ride from someone even though you're not over the legal limit. This seems just rediculous just to stop people from drinking and driving. In 2011, the total number of alcohol related deaths was 9,878. That's considerably low compared to the amount of other motor vehicle realted deaths of the same year which was 32,367. That's only 38% of people who are actually killed by drunk drivers compared to other motor vehicle related deaths.
Besides the low number of drunk driving deaths, the U.S. is actually not even close to other countries in the amount of alcohol being consumed per year. The U.S. isn't even in the top ten of countries with the most consumption of Alcohol. According to a study done in 2012, the Republic of Moldova was number one with each person consuming over 18 liters of alcohol each year. The number ten spot was Belarus with each person consuming 4 liters each year.
The U.S. has the toughest DUI laws in the world, yet only 38% of motor vehicle deaths are caused by drunk driving, and it's not in the top ten of the most alcohol consumed. So it looks like people are worrying way too much and need to relax a bit.
I'm not a fan of drunk driving, so here are a few tips if you want to avoid being pulled over or having an accident:
Drink as much as you want. No one can tell you how much you can drink. Just be aware that the more you drink, the longer it takes for the alcohol to exit your system.
Eat something. Food is a good way to suck up liquids, especially alcohol. For every drink you have, have a snack or an appitizer along with it.
Don't leave right away. If your BAC is around .15, it takes about an hour for the alcohol to leave your system. It takes longer if your BAC level is higher than that. So don't leave the area, just hang around and have some fun.
Of course, most people condemn anyone who drinks a lot of alcohol, let alone drives afterwards. But I think these people need to stop worrying about everything so much. They all should just sit down, relax, and have a drink.
World's Top 10 Alcohol Consuming Countries
States that Consume the Most Beer
Drunk Driving Statistics
