ALCO BEAT

[Music] so this is the most unusual party you've ever attended these people are deliberately getting drunk with the later intention once they're under the influence of driving automobiles under the supervision not only of safety officials and police officers but the parent teachers association and the state of nevada medical association [Music] [Applause] this is an alcohol drivers test conducted on a specially prepared driving range near reno what actually happens when an otherwise good driver gets behind the wheel while under the influence [Music] modern life is geared to the automobile a complex mechanism that in itself must be operated by an even more complex entity you the act of driving requires quick reactions good coordination clear vision and split-second judgment yet today's motorized civilization more than ever likes to socialize relax their tensions enjoy life [Music] most people usually think of alcohol as a stimulant but it isn't the impression of stimulation is simply a lessening of inhibitions alcohol is actually a type of anesthetic chemically related to ether and chloroform so in a sense as you drink you are becoming anesthetized but does a little alcohol just a drink or two really affect you the tests you are about to see will prove that as little as .04 percent alcohol in the blood reduces visual acuity as much as if you were wearing dark glasses after sundown [Applause] [Music] i see your driver's license please sure have you been drinking anything mr dempsey no no no how did you happen to me sir one maybe one or two at the most one or two at the most yeah mr dempsey would you mind getting out of your automobile please would you be willing to take a sobriety to it well yes sure i'll take one before i give you the examination mr dempsey i want to advise you that anything you say or do may be used as evidence against you in court do you understand that yes i understand it sure he's lucky this time he's only going to be embarrassed for running a red light he could have been embalmed it can happen anytime anywhere to anyone but being under the influence doesn't help it was to determine how much a driver is adversely affected by relatively small amounts of alcohol that the nevada alco driver test was developed the first was the reaction test to see how fast the subject could react and break on signal the officer actuated a mechanism that fired a marker onto the paper the subject hit the brake as fast as possible this fired another marker [Music] the reaction distance was measured a good average for sober drivers was .55 seconds now driving test number two designed to check the subject's ability to maneuver a vehicle in close quarters [Music] the next day the party each subject was allowed a predetermined amount of alcohol based on body mass [Music] a breath test was given to aid in determining the alcohol consumption level and each subject was also given a blood test this shows the alcohol level of the blood and is an accepted way of measuring the degree of intoxication 0.15 is widely accepted as an indication that a person is under the influence with the average individual this occurs with just a few high balls then came an analysis of visual acuity color vision the all-important test for depth perception visual reaction time and so on then came the moment of truth after all the speculation and the generalizations about driving while under the influence the guinea pig drivers are ready to confirm or deny [Music] jim subject number five for example took 50 percent longer to react when under the influence as did marge subject number 12 [Music] the second phase measurement of the subject's ability to drive smoothly coordinate and maneuver in close quarters showed that alcohol ruined the previous day's scores for everyone the penalties amassed by the participants represented minor collisions bent fenders damage to structures [Music] and possible serious accidents if they had really been driving in traffic the girls scored as poorly as the men [Music] what did the tests prove peripheral vision dropped nearly 18 degrees with the consumption of alcohol the all-important sense of depth perception deteriorated to only 26 of normal reaction time a life and death factor increased dangerously about 25 to 50 percent with the intake of alcohol in conclusion the medical summary the alco driver experiment proves without a doubt that a person's ability to operate a motor vehicle can be seriously impaired at levels far below the 0.15 percent blood alcohol content the presumptive standard equal to about seven drinks is not a realistic figure immediate consideration should be given to reducing the under the influence standard downward to the 0.10 percent i can't do it in the shoes but would you like to take your shoes off yes please none of these people planned to put themselves on display like this they were caught in the driver's seat after they had put others as well as their own lives in [Music] jeopardy [Music] [Applause] two average high balls contain an ounce of alcohol it will take your body about three hours to oxidize it if you have had three or four drinks up to six hours and so on so you would better let someone else drive or risk being the unwilling subject of a test yourself [Music] and touch the tip of your nose with the finger that i call out would you try that please [Applause] okay mr nancy that's fine you didn't do too well on that how many drinks did you say you had sir one or two one or two at the moment that's a little hard to believe would you step over here to the car please sir you're under arrest for drunk driving [Music] but people like this prove that even a few drinks seriously impair your ability to see react coordinate the most important skills of this motorized age [Music] don't let a few drinks foul up that complex finely balanced entity you when you have to get behind the wheel [Music] [Applause] you