Low and moderate alcohol doses, psychomotor performance and perceived drowsiness

Abstract

To investigate the role of alcohol on reaction time, performance errors and perceived drowsiness, 26 subjects were tested on a step input tracking task combined with a divided attention test. In four sessions in which varying amounts of alcohol were consumed it was found that as the mean blood alcohol concentration (BAC) rose from 0 to 0·073%, the number of errors increased significantly. Also, subjects reported being drowsy for at least 3 hours after drinking moderate amounts of alcohol (mean BAC, 0·050 to 0·073%). The results of the study are discussed in relation to alcohol induced driving impairment.