There is something else about drinking and driving that
many people do not know. Medical research shows
that alcohol in a person’s system can make crash
injuries worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal
cord, or heart. This means that when anyone who has
been drinking — driver or passenger — is in a crash,
that person’s chance of being killed or permanently
disabled is higher than if the person had not been
drinking.
{CAUTION:
Drinkingand then driving is very dangerous.
Yourreflexes, perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgmentcan be affected by even a small
amountof alcohol. You can have a serious — or
evenfatal — collision if you drive after drinking.
Pleasedo not drink and drive or ride with a
driverwho has been drinking. Ride home in a
cab;or if you are with a group, designate a
driverwho will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
Youhave three systems that make your vehicle go where
youwant it to go. They are the brakes, the steering, and
theaccelerator. All three systems have to do their work at
theplaces where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice, it
is easy to ask more of those control systems than
the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle.
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