Many people can have a couple of drinks and still feel perfectly sober but in fact, their reflexes may be impaired. It’s a good idea to check blood alcohol levels before taking the wheel. Driving while impaired means more than a suspended license or a fine – it can be deadly. The effects of alcohol are not limited to car accidents. Here are a few sobering facts:

• 50% of all violent crimes involve alcohol
• Heavy drinking over many years may result in serious mental disorders or permanent, irreversible damage to the brain or peripheral nervous system
• Alcohol may encourage aggression by disrupting normal brain mechanisms that normally restrain impulsive behavior such as aggression
• Alcohol affects all parts of the brain, which also affects the heart rate, coordination, speech, and destruction of brain cells
• 18,000 killed every year in alcohol related crashes
• One person dead every thirty minutes
• One person injured every minute