The SAS Survival Driver’s Handbook. John Wiseman
Around 20 per cent of all road traffic deaths are drink-related. Alcohol is a powerful drug which slows down the processes occurring in the brain, so that you take longer to react to unexpected situations. It inspires a false sense of confidence, affects your judgement of speed, distance and risk, and reduces your co-ordination — turning avoidable hazards into potentially lethal ones.
Just one drink will impair your driving to some extent. And because the effects can be quite subtle to begin with, you may feel as though you’re perfectly sober. It’s almost impossible to calculate with any accuracy how much you can drink and be safe to drive, because everyone absorbs alcohol at a different rate, depending on sex, weight, metabolism, age, the type of drink consumed, and how much you’ve had to eat. Some people can be seriously affected even though they’re well below the legal limit.
And don’t let anyone tell you that you’ll be all right if you stick to beer or cider rather than spirits. The amount of alcohol in half a pint of beer is roughly equivalent to the alcohol content of a glass of wine or a pub measure of spirits — more, if you’re drinking extra-strength beer or cider. Even alcoholic sodas, which look and taste like soft drinks, can push you over the limit; at 4.2–5.5 per cent proof, they contain as much alcohol as many lagers.
Once you have alcohol in your bloodstream it takes time for the liver to break it down. The average person’s liver can only cope with one unit (that’s about half a pint of beer or a glass of wine) per hour. You can drink all the black coffee you like, swim or exercise, take vitamins or hangover cures — it won’t reduce the level of alcohol in your system. So if you’ve been out for an evening’s drinking, it may be that the following morning, or even lunchtime the next day, will still find you over the limit. Police in some countries set up checkpoints to breathalyse drivers on their way to work and catch out the drinkers. Unless you have your own personal breathalyser kit, there’s no way of telling for sure whether you will pass the test. So take public transport the next day and get a good night’s sleep before driving again.
The police have the right to demand a breath test even if you have not committed any traffic offence or been involved in an accident. All the law requires is that they have ‘reasonable suspicion’ that you may have been drinking.
The penalties for driving over the legal limit are severe. You risk being disqualified from driving, fined or imprisoned (if you kill or injure someone as a result of driving under the influence, the fine or prison sentence increases to match the seriousness of the offence).
When planning to drive abroad, check out the motoring regulations before you go. Some countries have much stricter blood alcohol levels, and there may be regulations prohibiting you from carrying (let alone drinking from) open bottles of beer, wine or spirits in the car.
REMEMBER
Even if the accident is someone else’s fault, when you’re over the limit, you’ll come out the loser. The pedestrian who steps out into the path of your car may be twice as drunk as you — but you will be the one who is breathalysed and prosecuted.
The consequences of drinking and driving don’t end with legal action. Drivers with drink driving convictions face higher insurance premiums. Disqualification means inconvenience and the expense of extra travel costs, and if your job involves driving you could find yourself out of work. And if you kill or maim someone, you’ll have to live with your guilt and the disapproval of your friends and relations. Of course it may just as easily be you who is killed or injured.
Rather than risk the consequences, avoid the problem: DON’T drink and drive. Leave the car at home and take public transport or a taxi instead, or arrange for someone who has spent the evening drinking non-alcoholic beverages to drive you home.
Drugs vary in their effect on the body, according to whether they are depressants or stimulants. Some substances remain in your system for two weeks or more. Like alcohol, they impair control and co-ordination; some have more extreme effects, playing tricks with your vision and perception. Illegal drugs are also suspected of being a factor in a number of road rage attacks.
If anything, the stigma attached to a drug-related motoring offence is worse than for drink driving. Even if your line of work doesn’t involve driving, your employment prospects will suffer when it becomes known that you have a criminal record as the result of drug taking.
If you don’t feel well, don’t drive — especially when taking medication. Many drugs cause drowsiness, either when taken on their own or when mixed with other drugs or drink. Some medications cause the pupils to dilate, making the eyes extremely sensitive to strong light. Always ask your doctor whether prescribed drugs will impair your driving performance, and check the label or ask the pharmacist about over-the-counter remedies.
Even without the influence of drugs, your powers of concentration and the speed of your responses are reduced by illness. Something as mundane as a common cold can be dangerous at the wheel. A violent sneeze makes your eyes close and your body jerk, with potentially disastrous consequences if you swerve as a result — and at 70 mph you will cover well over a hundred feet in that second your eyes are closed.
Any injury which impedes the movement of your arms or legs will diminish your control of the vehicle and make driving difficult. Bandages, plasters, and splints will get in the way, sprains or heavy bruising will slow you down. If you suffer discomfort in the muscles or joints when driving, make sure that the mirrors are adjusted to keep head movement to a minimum. Install larger mirrors if need be. Use a cushion or back rest to give more support while driving.
Diseases of the ear can affect your balance as well as your hearing. Two-wheel transport like motorcycles and pedal cycles are out of the question while you’re in this condition. Motorists, too, should exercise caution. If you find that turning your head leaves you giddy and disoriented, you will not be able to look over your shoulder to check your blind spots — which means you are not safe to drive. Consult your doctor.
As we get older, our hearing deteriorates. The high-pitched tones are often the first to go — which means that it can be difficult to hear horns and emergency vehicle sirens. To compensate for a hearing impairment, keep the radio low and check the mirrors more frequently (every three seconds). Have your hearing tested regularly, and if you are issued with a hearing aid, wear it.
One in ten drivers suffer from hay fever. When the pollen count is high the eyes swell and become sore and itchy. Even with the windows and sunroof closed, pollen-saturated air comes in through the vents. In addition to the sneezing fits and the difficulty of seeing when your eyes are watering, hay fever sufferers are likely to have trouble staying awake. It can be difficult to get a good night’s sleep when the symptoms are at their worst, and antihistamines taken to ease the condition can cause drowsiness.
If you are badly affected by hay fever it is safer not to drive. When you have no choice but to drive, take precautions. Use non-sedative antihistamines, following the instructions on the label carefully (do not mix with other drugs without first checking with your pharmacist what the consequences will be). There are a number of non-sedative antihistamines available over the counter at pharmacies that will not make you sleepy. Cortisone drugs can help to suppress a ticklish