According to recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes kill someone every 31 minutes and non-fatally injure someone every two minutes. Drugs other than alcohol, such as marijuana and cocaine, are involved in about 18% of motor vehicle driver deaths. So what can you do about it? Plenty.

Misconceptions about Alcohol

• Coffee does not sober up an intoxicated person, nor does strenuous exercise, cold showers, or fresh air. Food does not soak up alcohol. The only thing that works is time, and it takes an hour to eliminate one drink's worth of alcohol.

• A bottle of beer, a glass of wine, or a shot of hard liquor all have the same amount of alcohol, and "light" beer has the same amount of alcohol as regular beer.

• Women typically do not process alcohol as well as men, due to lesser weight and more limited production of the breakdown enzyme, alcohol dehydrogenase.

• It takes fewer drinks than most people think to impair driving or to put them at legal risk. Three drinks over a couple of hours is enough to put most people over the legal limit.

The Affect of Alcohol

We all know alcohol can slow reaction time and make you loud, obnoxious, or affectionate. But here’s an example of the effects alcohol has on just one of your vital senses, your eyes:

Focus	Slows your eyes’ability to focus back and forth from objects near and far.
Muscle control	Relaxes the fine muscle control of your eyes, blurring vision.
Coordination	Impairs the eye’s ability to work together, causing double vision.
Distance Judgment	Reduces the ability to judge distance accurately.
Peripheral vision	Reduces the ability to perceive things from the side.
Night vision	Limits the eye’s ability to see in low light.
Colors	Impedes the ability to distinguish colors.

Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs

In addition to alcohol and illegal drugs, many perfectly legal substances can also affect your driving, including prescriptions and common over-the-counter drugs and medications. Review the labels on any prescription drugs you use for allergies, sinus problems, acne, chronic diseases, and other conditions. Be especially wary about drugs prescribed to alter moods and combat depression.

Over-the-counter drugs such as antihistamines, cough syrups, and cold medications can cause drowsiness. A label warning about not operating heavy machinery while taking the medication does not just apply to bulldozers and front-end loaders. If you must use an antihistamine make sure it’s a non-drowsy formulation.

Designated Drivers

To protect yourself, have a designated driver when you go out for dinner and drinks. Be aware of the most dangerous times and days when drinkers are on the roads (Fridays after 4:00 p.m., weekend evenings after 10:00 p.m. and any day after midnight).

The Consequences of Drug Use and Drinking and Driving

In addition to the safety issues, realize that in the Internet Age, all public records are fair game, and background checks are more common than ever before. DUI or drug violations will affect your ability to obtain jobs, volunteer positions, hold public office, get into schools, or coach your kid’s team.