According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the following skills needed for driving can be heavily affected by alcohol:
- Reaction Time – Alcohol can slow reflexes, which can decrease the ability to react swiftly to changing situations.
- Vision – Alcohol can slow eye muscle function, alter eye movement, and alter visual perception, possibly resulting in blurred vision. Night vision and color perception also can be impaired.
- Tracking – Alcohol can decrease the ability to judge the car’s position on the road, or the location of other vehicles, center line, or road signs.
- Concentration – Alcohol may cause attention to driving to decrease and/or drowsiness to occur.
- Comprehension – Alcohol can hinder the ability to make rational decisions
- Coordination – Reduced eye/hand/foot coordination can be caused by drinking too much alcohol.
