The effects of age and lack of driving experience are confounded in the epidemiological data, and due to the legal restrictions on giving alcohol to youth, these laboratory data permit no conclusion about the relationship. Conclusions based on the laboratory data are further limited by the lack of S s ages 70 years and above. Although not statistically significant, the Grand Rapids data suggested an increased impairment by alcohol for these older individuals. These individuals were excluded out of ethical concern about administering alcohol to problem drinkers. Nor do the data from this study provide any evidence that the driving skills of a particular category of drivers will not be impaired by alcohol.
Scientific data provide clear evidence that important driving skills are impaired at very low BACs.
It falls to society as a whole, and legislative representatives in particular, to assess the costs of and the remedies for alcohol-impaired driving.