THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON DECISION-MAKING WITH RESPECT TO TRAFFIC SIGNALS

THIS REPORT DESCRIBES AN INVESTIGATION THAT COMPARED THE ABILITY OF SUBJECTS, WITH AND WITHOUT ALCOHOL, TO SELECT AND EXECUTE THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO A CHANGING TRAFFIC SIGNAL LIGHT. IN EXPERIMENTAL SESSIONS INVOLVING THE USE OF ALCOHOL, EXAMINATION WAS MADE OF DRIVING PERFORMANCE AS A FUNCTION OF ASCENDING AND DESCENDING MODERATE BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVELS (B.A.L.). ANALYSIS OF THE ERROR RESPONSES SHOWED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPAIRMENT UNDER RISING B.A.L. UNDER DESCENDING B.A.L. A MARKED REDUCTION IN TOTAL ERRORS WAS EVIDENCED, ALTHOUGH IN BOTH SESSIONS IN WHICH ALCOHOL WAS USED MORE ERRORS OF JUDGMENT OCCURRED THAN IN NORMAL SESSIONS. IMPLICATIONS FOR DRIVING UNDER A MODERATE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL ARE DISCUSSED. /AUTHOR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • NO ICRL-RR-68-4
• Corporate Authors:

  Health, Education & Welfare Dept /US

  /Injury Control Research Lab
  ,   United States 
• Authors:
  • Lewis, E M
  • Sarlanis, K
• Publication Date: 1968-9

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 24 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohols; Decision making; Drunk driving; Emergency response time; Motor skills; Perception; Reaction time; Traffic signals
• Uncontrolled Terms: Experimental data
• Old TRIS Terms: Sensory motor coordination
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00223756
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 1 1972 12:00AM