New California Study Suggests One Drink May Impair Driving

A new study by UC San Diego researchers suggests that even one drink with dinner may impair drivers and lead to a California DUI-related accident.

The study, published in this month's edition of the Addiction journal, concluded that "buzzed" drivers with a 0.01 percent blood alcohol concentration are significantly more likely to be involved in accidents that cause injuries than totally sober drivers.

To conduct the analysis, the study used data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, which records all persons in the U.S. involved in fatal vehicle accidents. The data covered the years from 1994 to 2008, covering all counties, every day of the week, and included measurements on blood-alcohol levels in 0.01 increments.

Here are a few key findings:

• With a blood alcohol level of 0.01 percent, there are 4.33 serious injuries for each nonserious injury in a car crash.
• For drivers with no detectable blood alcohol, the ratio is 3.17 serious injuries per each nonserious injury.
• Motor vehicle accidents are 36.6 percent more likely to be severe with a blood-alcohol reading of 0.01 percent than with an entirely sober driver.
• The relationship remained even when the results were adjusted for driver inattention and fatigue as well as certain times of day, week and month with higher accident severity.
• Compared to sober drivers, buzzed drivers are significantly more likely to speed, to be improperly seatbelted and to drive the striking vehicle.
• There is a strong 'dose-response' relationship for all three factors in relation to accident severity (e.g. the greater the BAC, the greater the average speed of the driver and the greater the severity of the accident).

The study acknowledged that individuals handle alcohol differently, causing some people to become impaired with a lower blood alcohol concentration than others.

Nonetheless, the study recommends lowering the legal limit, arguing that doing so could save lives, prevent serious injuries, and reduce financial and social costs associated with DUI accidents.

California drivers are encouraged to contact an experienced California DUI defense attorney if they are arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence in California.