title: A review of alcohol-impaired driving: the role of blood alcohol concentration and complexity of the driving task.
abstract: The operation of a motor vehicle requires the integrity of sensory, motor, and intellectual faculties. Impairment of these faculties following the consumption of alcohol has been studied extensively through laboratory, closed-course and on-road driving, and epidemiological studies. The scientific literature was reviewed critically, with a focus on low-to-moderate blood alcohol concentrations (BAC ≤ 0.100%), to identify the most reliable determinants of alcohol-impaired driving. Variables such as age, gender, driving skill, and tolerance were shown to have limited impact on impairment. It was concluded the most relevant variables are BAC and complexity of the driving task. The scientific literature provides a high degree of confidence to support the conclusion that a BAC of 0.050% impairs faculties required in the operation of a motor vehicle. Whether impairment is apparent depends upon the complexity of the driving task, which applies to both study design and actual driving.
authors.affiliation: Toxicology Section, Centre of Forensic Sciences, 25 Morton Shulman Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Teri L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Toxicology Section, Centre of Forensic Sciences, 25 Morton Shulman Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Patricia A M
authors.initials: PAM
authors.lastname: Solbeck
authors.affiliation: Toxicology Section, Centre of Forensic Sciences, 25 Morton Shulman Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Daryl J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Mayers
authors.affiliation: Toxicology Section, Centre of Forensic Sciences, 25 Morton Shulman Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Langille
authors.affiliation: Toxicology Section, Centre of Forensic Sciences, 25 Morton Shulman Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Yvona
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Buczek
authors.affiliation: Toxicology Section, Centre of Forensic Sciences, 25 Morton Shulman Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Marc R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Pelletier
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000503:physiopathology; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001334:Automobile Driving; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000097:blood*; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood*; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000502:physiology; D053593:Forensic Toxicology; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol
keywords: automobile driving; blood alcohol concentration; ethanol; forensic science; forensic toxicology; impairment; psychomotor performance; tolerance