Caution – Pontiac 2002 Firebird User Manual

Page 177

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But the ability to drive is affected well below a
BAC of 0.10 percent. Research shows that the
driving skills of many people are impaired at a BAC
approaching 0.05 percent, and that the effects are
worse at night. All drivers are impaired at BAC levels
above 0.05 percent. Statistics show that the chance
of being in a collision increases sharply for drivers who
have a BAC of 0.05 percent or above. A driver with a
BAC level of 0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance
of having a collision. At a BAC level of 0.10 percent,
the chance of this driver having a collision is 12 times
greater; at a level of 0.15 percent, the chance is
25 times greater!

The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up. “I’ll be careful” isn’t the
right answer. What if there’s an emergency, a need to
take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street?
A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able
to react quickly enough to avoid the collision.

There’s something else about drinking and driving that
many people don’t know. Medical research shows that
alcohol in a person’s system can make crash injuries
worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord or
heart. This means that when anyone who has been
drinking

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driver or passenger

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is in a crash, that

person’s chance of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not been drinking.

CAUTION:

Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgment can be affected by even a small
amount of alcohol. You can have a serious

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or

even fatal

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collision if you drive after drinking.

Please don’t drink and drive or ride with a driver
who has been drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if
you’re with a group, designate a driver who will
not drink.

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