Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers 29 FACTS ABOUT DRINKING AND DRIVING IN SASKATCHEWAN • A drinking driver is involved in four out of every 10 fatal collisions. • There is a drinking driver in approximately one out of seven collisions where someone is injured. • Of the 54 people killed, 35 were drivers, 10 were passengers and nine were pedestrians. • Of the 54 people killed, 28 were killed on provincial highways, 14 on rural roads, six on urban streets and six on First Nations roads. • Those aged 25-34 are involved in the most alcohol-related collisions. THE IMPAIRING EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ONTHE BRAIN Alcohol affects everyone differently. Blood alcohol content (BAC) may be affected by age, gender, physical condition, and amount of food consumed, medication and other factors. Also, different mixed drinks contain different amounts of alcohol, so it's important to know how much alcohol has been consumed, not just how many drinks the person has had. Sequence of effects on the body Alcohol is absorbed into the blood stream very quickly. As blood alcohol levels start to rise, the brain becomes increasingly sedated or drugged. Judgment The first part of the body affected by alcohol is the brain, particularly the part of the brain that allows you to think clearly and make good decisions. Its sedative effects impair judgment in a way that is usually not noticed by the drinker. The part of the brain that controls social inhibitions is also affected, causing people to say and do things they normally would not. These effects start with one drink. Muscle control The second part of the body affected by alcohol is muscle control. Due to the small muscles in the eye being very susceptible to the effects of alcohol, vision can be significantly affected, even at low alcohol levels. Many people wrongly assess their ability to drive after drinking by observing physical dexterity (staggering, etc.). This is incorrect as the greatest percentage of alcohol-related collisions result from faulty thinking during the identification, prediction and decision parts of the driving task and not as a result of poor execution (steering, braking, etc.). The brain functions that are first affected by alcohol consumption are not only important to our ability to drive safely, but are the same ones required to make rational decisions about not driving after drinking. For this reason, you must make the decision to separate your drinking and driving and make the necessary alternate transportation plans before you have that first drink! It does not make sense to drive after drinking. For more information on the effects of alcohol and drugs, contact your nearest Alcohol and Drug Services office. DRINKING, DRUGS & DRIVING
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