Alcohol: BAC, effects and B.C. penalties

Only time lowers your blood alcohol content. Not coffee, not food, not a cold shower — those are the three myths the manual names specifically. Nor does the type of drink matter: beer is not gentler on your driving than anything else.

Alcohol attacks all three stages of see-think-do:

• See — you tend to stare, your eyes take in information too slowly, glare blinds you more easily, you may see double, depth perception drops so you cannot judge distance and speed, and peripheral vision narrows so hazards from the side go unseen.
• Think — reasoning becomes unclear, concentration drops, emotions become unstable, and — the dangerous part — you think your mental ability is sharp while you cannot make sound driving decisions.