We blogged yesterday about what a .08 blood alcohol content (BAC) does to your ability to operate a vehicle. However, there is a group of intoxicated drivers that safety experts refer to as “hardcore drunk drivers.” These are the drivers with a BAC of .15 or greater. In addition, hardcore drunk drivers show no signs of quitting drinking and driving despite rehabilitation, education and criminal convictions. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health revealed that 50 to 75 percent of convicted drunk drivers continue to drive with a suspended license.
A .15 BAC greatly diminishes your ability to safely operate a vehicle. Any or all of the following occurs when you reach a .15 BAC:
· You have far less muscle control than normal
· You experience a major loss of balance and vomiting may occur
· There is substantial impairment in your attention to driving and visual processing
Seventy percent of drivers killed in 2009 alcohol-related car accidentshad a BAC over .15, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). To put that into perspective, a driver with a .15 BAC is 380 times more likely to die or kill another person in a car accident.
Harrell & Nowak, L.L.C. – New Orleans accident attorneys