Resumen

GUANCHE GARCELL, Humberto; MARTINEZ QUESADA, Carlos E  y  GUTIERREZ GARCIA, Francisco. Alcohol impact on the driver´s capacity of motor vehicles. Rev Cubana Salud Pública [online]. 2007, vol.33, n.1. ISSN 0864-3466.

Alcohol drinking is one of the main causes of motor vehicle crasches and has an impact on the happening of traffic accidents, particularly those with high number of victims. A literature review was made using services as INFOMED, MEDLINE, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (USA) and Mothers against drug driving (Canada), with the objective of describing the effects of drinking on the quality of motor vehicle driving and its implications in the legislation of different countries. Certain blood alcohol concentration has negative effects on psychomotor capacity, sight, behaviour and other abilities necessary for safe driving, which gradually deteriorate as driver´s blood alcohol concentration increases. The synergistic effect of alcohol drinking plus other medications or drug taking should be borne mind as well as the deterioration of driving capabilities associated to the driver´s diseases. On the basis of alcohol drinking effects on driving, the law generally sets blood alcohol concentration limits from 0.03 to 0.05 g/dl for non-professional drivers whereas it does not allow professional or very young and unexperienced drivers to have a single drop of alcohol in their blood. These alcohol concentration figures are recommended to be set in Cuba

Palabras clave : Traffic crashes; alcohol; prevention; psychophysiological effects; laws.

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