A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON THE EFFECTS OF LOW DOSES OF ALCOHOL ON DRIVING-RELATED SKILLS

A review of the scientific literature regarding the effects of alcohol on driving-related skills was conducted. The review covered 112 articles dated from 1981 to 1997. Results were indexed by blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and behavioral area and entered into a database. Two separate analyses were conducted. The first analysis determined the lowest BAC at which impairment is reliably present in driving-related skills. The second analysis determined the thresholds of impairment for each of 12 separate behavioral areas. It was concluded that: (A) Alcohol impairs some driving skills beginning with any significant departure from zero BAC. By BACs of 0.05 g/dl, the majority of the experimental studies examined reported significant impairment. By 0.08 g/dl, more than 94% of the reviewed studies showed impairment in the skills they measured. (B) Specific performance skills are differentially affected by alcohol. Some skills are significantly impaired by BACs of 0.01 g/dl, while others do not show impairment until BACs of 0.06 g/dl. (C) Discrepancies among the reported BAC thresholds of impairment within a behavioral area reflected a lack of standardization of testing methods, instruments, and measures in the studies reviewed. (D) All drivers can be expected to experience impairment in some driving-related skills by 0.08 g/dl or less.

• Record URL:
  http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/research/pub/Hs809028/Title.htm
• Record URL:
  https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/16000/16400/16423/PB2000103869.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Herbert Moskowitz, Ph.D., Incorporated

  4138 Royal Crest
  Encino, CA  United States  91436

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Moskowitz, H
  • Fiorentino, D
• Publication Date: 2000-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 60 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohol effects; Blood alcohol levels; Driving; Impaired drivers; Literature reviews; Motor skills
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00795413
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-809 028,, Final Report
• Files: HSL, NTL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jul 28 2000 12:00AM