As many as forty percent of designated drivers may actually drink during a night out, accoprding to a new study from researchers at the University of Florida.
Researchers interviewed 1,000 people exiting a bars in southern college towns. Of those interviewed, 165 identified themselves at the designated driver for the night. About 40 percent of the all DDs admitted to having had at least one drink and as many as 18 percent were test to have a blood alcohol level of at least .05 percent.
"There's evidence that says designated drivers often times are chosen because they're least intoxicated - or they're chosen because they've successfully driven a car intoxicated previously," said Adam Barry, lead author of the study.
"I recognize the levels we have in our article is not .08," Barry said. "Driving tasks such as divided attention are impacted. Once you hit .05, that's basically when the vast majority of the literature says you are significantly impaired."
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