1998 Chevrolet Camaro Owner's Manual - Page 184

0.05 percent, and that theeffects are worse at night. All It's the amountof alcohol that counts. For example, if drivers are impaired at BAClevels above 0.05 percent. the same person drank three double martinis (3 ounces Statistics show that the chanceof being in acollision or 90 ml of liquor each) within hour, the person's an BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A person who increases sharply fordrivers who have a BAC of consumes foodjust before or during drinking will have a 0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level of 0.06 percent has doubled his her chance of having a or somewhat lower BAC level. collision. At a BAC level of percent, the chanceof 0.10 There is a genderdifference, too. Women generally have this driver having a collision is 12 times greater; at a a lower relative percentage of body water than men. level of 0.15 percent, thechance is 25 times greater! Since alcohol is carried in body water, this means that a The body takes about an hour rid itself of the alcohol to woman generally will reach a higher BAC than a level man of her same body weight when each has the same in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold showers will speed that up. "I'll careful" isn't the be number of drinks. right answer. What there's an emergency, a need if to The law in manyU.S. states sets the legal limit at a BAC take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street? of 0.10 percent. In a growing number U.S. states, and of A person with even a moderate BAC might not able be throughout Canada, the limit is 0.08 percent. In some to react quickly enough to avoid the collision. other countries, it's even lower. BAC limit for all The There's somethingelse about drinking and driving that commercial drivers in the UnitedStates is 0.04 percent. many people don't know. Medical research shows that The BAC willbe over 0.10 percent after three to six alcohol in a person's system can make crash injuries drinks (in one hour). course, as we've seen, it Of worse, especially injuriesto the brain, spinal cord or depends on how much alcohol in the drinks, and how is heart. This means that when anyone who has been quickly the person drinks them. drinking -- driver or passenger -- is in acrash, that But the abilityto drive is affected well below a BAC of person's chanceof being killed or permanently disabled 0.10 percent. Research shows that the drivingskills of is higher thanif the person had not been drinking. many people are impaired at a BAC approaching 4-4