Being in Shape to Ride: Alcohol and Other Drugs in Motorcycle Operation
Alcohol and other drugs, more than any other factor, degrade your ability to think clearly
and to ride safely. As little as one drink can have a significant effect on your
performance.
Alcohol is a major contributor to motorcycle crashes, particularly fatal crashes. Studies
show that 40% to 45% of all riders killed in motorcycle crashes had been drinking. Only
one-third of those riders had a blood alcohol concentration above legal limits. The rest
had only a few drinks in their systems - enough to impair riding skills. In the past,
drug levels have been harder to distinguish or have not been separated from drinking
violations for the traffic records. But riding "under the influence" of either alcohol or
drugs poses physical and legal hazards for every rider.
Drinking and drug use is as big a problem among motorcyclists as it is among automobile
drivers. Motorcyclists however, are more likely to be killed or severely injured in a
crash. Injuries occur in 90% of motorcycle collisions and 33% of automobile crashes that
involve abuse of substances. On a yearly basis, 2,100 motorcyclists are killed and about
50,000 seriously injured in this same type of crash. These statistics are too
overwhelming to ignore.
By becoming knowledgeable about the effects of alcohol and other drugs you will see that
riding and substance abuse don't mix. Take positive steps to protect yourself and
prevent others from injuring themselves.
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No one is immune to the effects of alcohol or drugs. Friends may brag about their ability to
hold their liquor or perform better on drugs, but alcohol or drugs make them less able to
think clearly and perform physical tasks skillfully. Judgement and the decision-making
processes needed for vehicle operation are affected long before legal limitations are reached.
Many over-the-counter, prescription, and illegal drugs have side effects that increase the risk of
riding. It is difficult to accurately measure the involvement of particular drugs in motorcycle
crashes. But we do know what effects various drugs have on the process involved in riding a
motorcycle. We also know that the combined effects of alcohol and other drugs are more dangerous
than either is alone.
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Alcohol enters the bloodstream quickly. Unlike most foods and beverages, it does not need to
be digested. Within minutes after being consumed, it reaches the brain and begins to affect
the drinker. The major effect alcohol has is to slow down and impair bodily functions -
both mental and physical. Whatever you do, you do less well after consuming alcohol.
Blood Alcohol Concentration:
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Blood Alcohol Concentration or BAC is the amount of alcohol in relation to blood in the
body. Generally, alcohol can be eliminated in the body at the rate of almost one drink
per hour. But a variety of other factors may influence the level of alcohol retained.
The more alcohol in your blood, the greater the degree of impairment.
Three factors play a major part in determining BAC:
- The amount of alcohol you consume.
- How fast you drink.
- Your body weight.
Other factors also contribute to the way alcohol affects your system. Your sex, physical
condition and food intake are just a few that may cause your BAC level to be even higher.
But the full effects of these are not completely known. Alcohol may still accumulate in
your body even if you are drinking at a rate of one drink per hour. Abilities and
judgement can be affected by that one drink.
A 12-ounce can of beer, a mixed drink with one shot of liquor and a 5-ounce glass of wine
all contain the same amount of alcohol.
The faster you drink, the more alcohol accumulates in your body. If you drink two drinks
in an hour, at the end of that hour, at least one drink will remain in your bloodstream.
Without taking into account any other factors a person drinking:
- 8 drinks in 4 hours would have at least 4 drinks remaining in their system.
- 7 drinks in 3 hours would have at least 4 drinks remaining in their system.
There are times when a larger person may not accumulate as high a concentration of alcohol
for each drink consumed. They have more blood and other bodily fluids. But because
of individual differences it is better not to take the chance that abilities and
judgement have not been affected. Whether or not you are legally intoxicated is not the
real issue. Impairment of judgement and skills begins well below the legal limit.
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In most states, a person with a BAC of .10% or above is considered intoxicated; in others
the legal limit is .08% or .05%. It doesn't matter how sober you may look or act. The
breath or urine test is what usually determines whether you are riding legally or illegally.
In North Carolina, if your intoxication test shows an alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent
or more (0.04 or more, if you are driving a commercial motor vehicle), your driving privilege
will be revoked immediately for a minimum of 30 days.
Your chances of being stopped for riding under the influence of alcohol are increasing. Law
enforcement is being stepped up across the country in response to the senseless deaths and
injuries caused by drinking drivers and riders.
Consequences of Conviction:
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Years ago, first offenders had a good chance of getting off with a small fine and
participation in alcohol-abuse classes. Today the laws of most states impose
stiff penalties on drinking operators. And those penalties are mandatory,
meaning that judges must impose them.
If you are convicted of riding under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you may
receive any of the following penalties:
- License Suspension - Mandatory suspension for conviction, arrest or refusal
to submit to a breath test.
- Fines - Severe fines are another aspect of a conviction usually levied with
a license suspension.
- Community Service - Performing tasks such as picking up litter along the
highway, washing cars in the motor-vehicle pool, or working at an emergency ward.
- Costs - Additional lawyer's fees to pay; lost work time spent in court or
alcohol-education programs; public transportation costs (while your license is
suspended); and the added psychological costs of being tagged a "drunk driver".
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Your ability to judge how well you are riding is affected first. Although you may
be performing more and more poorly, you think you are doing better and better. The
result is that you ride confidently, taking greater and greater risks. Minimize the
risks of drinking and riding by taking steps before you drink. Control your drinking
or control your riding.
Don't Drink:
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Dont' Drink - Once you start, your resistance becomes weaker.
Setting a limit or pacing yourself are poor alternatives at best. Your ability to
exercise good judgement is one of the first things affected by alcohol. Even if you
have tried to drink in moderation, you may not realize to what extent your skills
have suffered from alcohol's fatiguing effects.
Or Don't Ride - If you haven't controlled your drinking, you must control
your riding.
- Leave the motorcycle - so you won't be tempted to ride. Arrange another way
to get home.
- Wait - If you exceed your limit, wait until your system eliminates the
alcohol and its fatiguing effects.
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People who have had too much to drink are unable to make a responsible decision. It is up to others
to step in and keep them from taking too great a risk. No one wants to do this - it's uncomfortable,
embarrassing and thankless. You are rarely thanked for your efforts at the time. But the
alternatives are often worse.
There are several ways to keep friends from hurting themselves:
- Arrange a safe ride - Provide alternative ways for them to get home.
- Slow the pace of drinking - Involve them in other activities.
- Keep them there - Use any excuse to keep them from getting on their
motorcycle. Serve them food and coffee to pass the time. Explain
your concerns for their risks of getting arrested or hurt, or hurting
someone else.
- Get friends involved - Use peer pressure from a group of friends to
intervene.
It helps to enlist support from others when you decide to step in. The more people on your side,
the easier it is to be firm and the harder it is for the rider to resist. While you may not be
thanked at the time, you will never have to say, "If only I had..."
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