How alcohol impairs driving

Key points

1. A BAC of .08% impairs steering, braking, speed control and lane tracking.

   Source: Handbook p. 25

   “a BAC of .08% impairs accuracy of steering, braking, speed control, lane tracking, gear changing, and judgement of speed and distance.”
   Nebraska Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 25

2. Weight, sex, food in the stomach and time spent drinking all affect how alcohol is absorbed.

   Source: Handbook p. 24

   “Many factors affect an individual's absorption of alcohol. These include: 1) weight, 2) sex (a higher proportion of a woman's body weight is in fat and fat absorbs less alcohol than muscle tissue), 3) amount of food in the digestive tract, and 4) time spent drinking.”
   Nebraska Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 24

3. Simple reaction time is impaired at .04% BAC; choice reaction starts to suffer at .03%.

   Source: Handbook p. 24

   “Simple reaction time is impaired at .04% BAC. When the driver must choose from a number of responses (choice reaction), impairment begins at .03% BAC.”
   Nebraska Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 24

4. The ability to track a single object is impaired at .05% BAC.

   Source: Handbook p. 25

   “The ability to track a single object is impaired at .05% BAC.”
   Nebraska Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 25

5. Crash risk rises noticeably between .04% and .05% BAC and increases rapidly after that.

   Source: Handbook p. 25

   “The risk of being in a crash begins to rise noticeably between .04% and .05% BAC, and increases rapidly thereafter.”
   Nebraska Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 25

6. At .05% a driver is 2 times as likely to be in a fatal crash, and at .08% 3 times as likely.

   Source: Handbook p. 25

   “At .05% BAC a driver is twice as likely to be involved in a fatal crash than a non-drinking driver. By the time a driver reaches .08% BAC, he or she is three times more likely”
   Nebraska Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 25

7. Only time can reduce the alcohol level; Nebraska averages over 8,000 alcohol or drug driving arrests a year.

   Source: Handbook p. 25

   “Only time can reduce the alcohol level and the effects from the body. Nebraska averages over 8,000 arrests annually for driving violations involving alcohol or drugs.”
   Nebraska Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 25

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Nebraska practice test

1. 1. At what BAC does Nebraska's manual say a driver's risk of being in a crash begins to rise noticeably?

   1. Between .01% and .02%
   2. Between .02% and .03%
   3. At .08% only
   4. Between .04% and .05%
   Show answer

   Between .04% and .05%. The manual says crash risk begins to rise noticeably between .04% and .05% BAC and then increases rapidly. Waiting until .08% misses the earlier warning in the text, while the lower ranges are not the stated threshold. This is a safety observation, not permission to drive until a legal limit is reached. A driver who plans to drink should arrange another ride before consuming alcohol, because measurable impairment and increasing crash risk can appear well before the familiar .08% figure.

2. 2. According to Nebraska's alcohol guidance, what can reduce the alcohol level and its effects in the body?

   1. Coffee
   2. Only time
   3. Fresh air
   4. A cold shower
   Show answer

   Only time. Nebraska's manual says only time can reduce the alcohol level and its effects in the body. Coffee, a cold shower, and fresh air may change how alert a person feels, but they do not remove alcohol or restore safe driving ability. The safest cue is to plan transportation before drinking and wait rather than trying a quick remedy afterward. Feeling more awake is not the same as having recovered the judgment, coordination, and response ability needed behind the wheel.

3. 3. How many arrests for alcohol or drug driving violations does Nebraska average each year?

   1. About 500
   2. Over 8,000
   3. About 100,000
   4. About 50
   Show answer

   Over 8,000. Nebraska averages over 8,000 arrests annually for driving violations involving alcohol or drugs. Only time reduces the alcohol level in the body, so arrange a designated driver or other transportation before drinking. Crash risk starts rising noticeably between .04 and .05 percent BAC, and at .05 a driver is twice as likely to be in a fatal crash as a sober driver.

Source: the Nebraska Driver's Manual, Section 2: Important Driver Information. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.