Highway Driving

Highway Driving

Hurry Up and Get There

Speed limits are up in most states – cruising speeds are up even more.

“America is a country that doesn’t know where it is going but is determined to set a speed record getting there”, quipped Laurence J. Peter, author of The Peter Principle, in 1977. Peter was speaking metaphorically, but more recent studies of American driving habits underscore his point: The report bu Prevention magazine shows that 55 percent of drivers on the nation’s highways today exceed the posted speed limits, up from 44 percent in 1983. Moreover, the national speed limits on federally funded highways in urban and rural areas (55 mph and 65 mph, respectively) are likely to be repealed soon.

Better roads have played a role in this speeding up of American traffic, as has a return to larger, more powerful cars, according to Jerry Scannell, president of the National Safety Council in the 90s. But the main reason, he suggested, is that police are too busy fighting other crime to enforce speed laws.

“Speeding initially increased in the western part of the country,” explained Scannell, “where the highways are long, flat, and straight.” The raising of speed limits in many rural areas has not only encouraged speeding but led to increases in automobile-related fatalities in states with 65 mph speed limits, Scannell argued.

Despite these developments, motor vehicle-related death rates nationwide have actually been declining for some years now. In 1994, for example, there were 41,300 such deaths in the United States, according to the National Safety Council. Calculated as a death rate per 100 million vehicle miles, this was only about one-half of what it was in 1980 and one-third of what it was in 1960.

The recent decline in vehicle-related fatalities can’t be credited to improvements in driver attentiveness. One-third of those in the Prevention survey said that they try to read maps and directions while driving, and nearly two-thirds said that they change cassette tapes or radio stations.

Part of the improvement in death rates can be attributed to higher seat belt use. In the Prevention survey, 73 percent said they always wear a seat belt when sitting in the front seat of a car; in 1983 only 19 percent reported doing so.

The other big factor, experts say, has been the raising of the legal drinking age to 21 in some states. “The number of people who drink and drive has steadily decreased,” says Scannell, who gives much of the credit to Mothers against Drunk Driving, or MADD. While 56 percent of all automobile fatalities were alcohol-related in 1983, it was down to 44 percent in 1993. But studies have shown that drivers who imbibe enough to be presumed tipsy under the laws of most states are at least 48 times more likely to die in a traffic accident than those who avoid the beer or bottle.

Fact File: Feeling Drowsy

One in four drivers has dozed off at the wheel at some point, according to a number of surveys by the Institute ofr Traffic Safety Management and Research. The study found:

About 1 in 14 men are involved in reported accidents because of sleepiness, compared with fewer than 1 in 100 women.

Snorers are more likely to nod off while driving, perhaps because they are generally less well rested, according to the studies’ authors.

Mount Pleasant Road. Photo by Elena

Holding Your Liquor

Percentage of alcohol in the blood one hour after drinking

Examples of alcoholic drinks – amount of alcohol (oz) – body weight in lbs (100, 120, 140, 160, 180, 200)

    Three Dubonnet cocktails – 3.0 – .252, .208, .176, .152, .134, .119.

    Four Bloody Marys, Daiquiris, Wiskey Sours – 2.8 – .234, .193, .163, .141, .124, .110.

    Two glasses Fish House Punch – 2.6. – .217, .178, .151, .130, .114, .101.

    Three Martinis or Manhattans or glasses malt liquor – 2.4 – .199, .163, .138, .119, .104, .092.

    Two Maltais or Mint Juleps – 2.2. – .181, .149, .125, .108, .094, .083.

    Four champagne cocktails – 2.0. – .163, .134, .113, .097, .084, .075.

    Two Margaritas – 1.8. – .146, .119, .100, .086, .057, .066.

    Two Martinis or Manhattans – 1.6. – .128, .104, .087, .075, .065, .057.

    Two highballs, Bloody Marys – 1.4 – .110, .089, .075, .063, .055, .048.

    Two 3 oz glasses fortified wine (port, vermouth, etc.) – 1.2. – .092, .075, .062, .052, .045, .039.

    Two glasses beer – 1.0. – 0.75, .060, .049, .041, .035, 0.30.

    One Black Russian – 0.8. – 0.57, .045, .037, .030, .025, .021.

    One Sloe Jin Fizz – 0.6. – 0.39, .030, .024, .019, .015, .012.

    One 1 oz cordial or liqueur – 0.4 – .021, .015, .011, .008, .006, .004.

The Meaning of Tipsy

These figures represent the blood alcohol content past which you shouldn’t drive.

Blood alcohol content – Effects on Feeling and Behaviour – Effects on Driving Ability

    .40, .20, .19, .18 – At this point most people have passed out. – Hopefully driver passed out before trying to get into vehicle.

    .17, .16, .15, .14, .13 – Major impairment of all physical and mental functions. Irresponsible behavior. Euphoria. Some difficulty standing, walking and talking. – Distortion of all perception and judgment. Driving erratic. Driving in a daze.

    .12, .11, .10 – Difficulty performing gross motor skills. Uncoordinated behavior. Definite impairment of mental abilities, judgment and memory. – Judgment seriously affected. Physical difficulty in driving a vehicle.

    .09, .08, .07 – Feeling of relaxation. Mild sedation. Exaggeration of emotions and behavior. Slight impairment of motor skills, increase in reaction time. – Drivers take too long to decide and act. Motor skills (such as braking) are impaired. Reaction time is increased.

    .06, .05, .02 – Absence of observable effects. Mild alteration of feelings, slight intensification of existing moods. – Mild changes. Most drivers seem a bit moody. Bad driving habits slightly pronounced.

(Sources: National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information. National Safety Council)