101 Critical Days of Summer commentary: Drink then drive? Some Cold, Hard Facts About Drinking and Driving Published July 3, 2008 By Steve Serrette 72nd Air Base Wing Safety Office TINKER AIR FORCE BASE -- Although alcohol-related traffic fatalities have been on the decline in recent years, the certainty of highway deaths due to alcohol impaired drivers is so predictable each holiday period (such as the 101 Critical Days of Summer) many state highway patrol departments each year issue highway fatality "projections" that will turn out to be quite accurate. In spite of all the warnings, public awareness and educational programs, stiffer penalties for violations, and efforts by law enforcement agencies across the nation to be more visible and diligent in protecting the highways, people (including Airmen and civilians) will still make the decision to get behind the wheel of their vehicles while intoxicated. The sad fact is motor vehicle wrecks are the leading cause of death in the United States for persons under age 34, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those deaths, more than 40 percent are alcohol-related. Alcohol-related accidents are so prevalent, it is estimated that 40 percent of all persons in the United States will be involved in a traffic mishap blamed on alcohol at some point in their lives. How dangerous is drinking and driving? A driver with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10 or greater is seven times more likely to be involved in a fatal motor vehicle crash than is a driver who has not consumed alcoholic beverages, and a driver with an alcohol concentration of 0.15 or greater is about 25 times more likely. Cold, Hard Facts Basically, the more you drink the more likely you are to have an accident--a fatal one. The same applies for the likelihood of having any vehicle accident, fatal or otherwise. Here are the cold hard facts: A 160-pound person drinking two beers within an hour would probably have a BAC of 0.04, well below the legal limits of driving under the influence, but 1.4 times more likely to have an accident than someone who is sober. Two more beers? The likelihood of an accident goes up almost tenfold to 11 times more likely than the non-drinking driver. As the amount of alcohol in the driver's system rises on the BAC scale, the likelihood of a traffic accident increases exponentially! Two more beers? Up to a six-pack now? The likelihood of having an accident is now 48 times higher than the abstainer and the driver has just now reached the 0.10 BAC level. Two more? Hey, you've already had a six-pack; two more couldn't hurt, right? Except two more beers could put your BAC close to 0.15 at which point you are 380 times more likely to have an accident. Play it smart during weekends, holidays and during the 101 Critical Days this summer. If you plan to party away from home - and this includes on the water - be sure to appoint a designated driver for the car or operator for the boat. Whatever you do, don't get behind the wheel if you've been drinking!