Spangdahlem tests drunk, drowsy drivers

Published April 30, 2013
By Senior Airman Natasha Stannard
52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- Free alcohol and a ride home was more than enough for participants to volunteer for the Safe Driving initiative at Spangdahlem AB April 26, 2013.

But, these participants gained something that lasts a little longer than a buzz from a few drinks - perspective.

The initiative tested two control groups' reactions to field sobriety tests and driving simulators in a controlled environment. Each person arrived with a blood alcohol level of zero, which security forces verified with breathalyzer tests at the door.

Event coordinators separated the Airmen into two groups: one that would ingest alcohol and one deprived of sleep. Each group was tested several times throughout the evening. The drinking group consumed one-to-two drinks per hour as the night progressed. After each hour, the groups went through a series of tests to check reactions and sobriety.

The first round of alcohol included one German beer consumed within 15 minutes, and the drinking participants found themselves behind the wheel of the driving simulator an hour later. Some participants ran into animals crossing the road, some ran off the road and some crashed their vehicles.

These results were not what the "drunk" drivers expected.

"I'm not feeling anything," said Airman 1st Class Christian Valenzuela from San Diego, after his first beer. "I'm pretty confident I'm going to pass all the tests, because that one beer didn't do a thing."

About 10 minutes later, Valenzuela returned from completing the driving simulator and field sobriety tests.

"Turns out my reaction time has gone down a little bit," he said after hitting three deer on the simulator. "The deer came at me, and I didn't react in time to stop the car even though I did slam on the breaks ... but it's my fault because I saw the deer late."

He also said he thought he did great on the field sobriety tests. However, after completing the test, security forces said he presented typical indicators of alcohol influence.

"He multiple times missed his heel to toe step," listed Senior Airman Christopher Schlarb, 52nd Security Forces Squadron, on top of several other red flags. "He failed his test."

The sleep-deprived drivers were also surprised with their results. One of the sleep-deprived, Airman 1st Class Joseph Guy from Lexington, Ky., said he knew it was dangerous to drive after being awake for 27 hours, but it wasn't until he actually got behind the wheel that the effects really hit home.

"Little things started to get to me," said Guy as the night progressed. "My reaction time is a lot slower. I'm having a hard time pushing the breaks. It's getting more difficult. I'm getting a lot more tired. I wanted to close my eyes, but I'm like 'You can't do that while you're driving.'"

By the end of the night, Valenzuela and other participants said much was learned from the experience, but he's not just keeping the valuable information to himself.

"I will bring back everything I've learned and tell people how drastically everything can change after just one or two beers," Valenzuela said.

And if he's out and sees someone who's drinking with keys ready to get behind the wheel, he said, "I'm going to ask for their keys.

If you're going to have a drink and have keys, give them to someone else so they can drive you or call someone to pick you up. There are so many options; you shouldn't ever refer to drinking and driving. "

Spangdahlem AB provides Airmen with options to deter them from drinking and driving, such as Airmen Against Drunk Driving and the Ride for Life program. People can get Ride for Life cards from their first sergeant. These cards list taxi phone numbers, fare schedules and taxi fare estimates. Some taxi companies, like Faber at 06565-95-1010, will even take payments at a later date if the individual does not have money.

The 52nd Fighter Wing Safety office plans to use results from this initiative to better inform people of the dangers of drunk, distracted and drowsy driving. The safety office also plans to later test a sober and distracted control group to add to their analysis.

To volunteer for either of the sober or distracted control group, call DSN 452-7233 or 06565-61-7233.