Aims

To support the free and open dissemination of research findings and information on alcoholism and alcohol-related problems. To encourage open access to peer-reviewed articles free for all to view.

For full versions of posted research articles readers are encouraged to email requests for "electronic reprints" (text file, PDF files, FAX copies) to the corresponding or lead author, who is highlighted in the posting.

___________________________________________

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Alcohol Badly Affects Eye Movements Linked to Steering, Providing for Automatic in-Car Detection of Drink Driving
Neuropsychopharmacology advance online publication 16 May 2007




Driving is a classic example of visually guided behavior in which the eyes move before some other action.

When approaching a bend in the road, a driver looks across to the inside of the curve before turning the steering wheel. Eye and steering movements are tightly linked, with the eyes leading, which allows the parts of the brain that move the eyes to assist the parts of the brain that control the hands on the wheel.

We show here that this optimal relationship deteriorates with levels of breath alcohol well within the current UK legal limit for driving. The eyes move later, and coordination reduces.

These changes lead to bad performance and can be detected by an automated in-car system, which warns the driver is no longer fit to drive.


Read Full Abstract


Reprint Request E-mail: D.E.Marple-Horvat@mmu.ac.uk
____________________________________________________________________
at