NYS Department of Motor Vehicles
Governor's Traffic Safety Committee

DECIDE WHETHER EACH STATEMENT IS TRUE OR FALSE

1.	FALSE - People who drink large quantities of alcohol often appear to be sober.  They develop tolerance and often think they can drive.  Each drink increases the level of impairment and decreases the ability to handle all tasks needed to drive (braking, steering, lane changing, judgment and divided attention).
2.	FALSE - Beer and any other alcoholic beverage impairs the ability to drive. Each of the following drinks contains an equal amount of alcohol:  12 oz. can of beer at 5% alcohol content; 5 oz. glass of wine at 12% alcohol content; 1.5 oz. shot of Liquor at 80 proof; and 12 oz. wine cooler at 5% alcohol content.   Beer is consumed by nearly 80% of all the drivers causing an alcohol-related fatal crash.
3.	TRUE - Any amount of alcohol impairs the ability to drive and increases the possibility of causing a crash.  Drivers with a .15 BAC have 24 times the chance of having a crash as a sober driver.
4.	FALSE - Any amount of alcohol will slow a person's reaction and response time.  Each drink increases impairment and reduces the ability to handle all tasks needed to drive.
5.	TRUE - Marijuana has serious harmful effects on the skills required to drive safely; alertness, the ability to concentrate, coordination, and the ability to react quickly.  These effects can last up to 24 hours after smoking marijuana.  Marijuana use can make it difficult to judge distances and react to signals and sounds on the road.
6.	TRUE - Twenty-one percent (21%) of car crash fatalities in NYS involve alcohol.  Thirty-eight percent (38%) of car crash fatalities in the nation involve alcohol.
7.	FALSE - Two (2) out of five people will be in an alcohol-related crash in their life-time. Our chances to be in a crash are much greater than 2 in 50.
8.	TRUE - The younger someone starts drinking before age 21, the more likely they will develop problems with alcohol.
9.	FALSE - Drinking too much alcohol too fast causes alcohol poisoning.  Nearly 2,000 youth under the age of 21 die from alcohol poisoning each year.  In addition each year, thousands of young people with alcohol poisoning need hospitalization.
10.	TRUE - Approximately 2,000 young people between the ages of 15-20 die in alcohol or other drug related car crashes each year.

Governor George E. Pataki's Traffic Safety Committee - Raymond P. Martinez, Chair

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