Many years ago, in England at Motor Club monthly meeting at a nice country pub, as you entered a member had set up a reaction tester. Peered down a tube and when a light flashed pushed a button. Got two goes, set base line. Deal then was after two beers to repeat. Then all were collared for testing when we were thrown out at closing time (10:30 pm in them distant days).
Reaction times in general declined by 5+% after two beers and doubled by closing time. General reaction was shock. This was at the very beginning of awareness of drink and anything, not just driving.
I am always surprised how well attended (and supplied) bars still are at British gliding clubs.




On Tuesday, February 19, 2019 at 4:55:03 PM UTC-5, wrote:
Even when I drank (more than 30 years ago when I got into a big health thing), I hesitated to do so the night before flying and I'm not sure I ever did before or during a contest. Did it make a difference? No idea. It was one less thing to worry about.

I do know that Car & Driver magazine once did a test where they ran several of their experienced drivers through a slalom course repeatedly, timing each run, administering another drink, timing the next run, etc. Fairly closely controlled to allow the alcohol to get into their systems. IIRC, fastest times were generally after 1-2 drinks. Drivers were slightly slower when sober and their performance deteriorated rapidly after a few drinks, to the point where they started knocking over a lot of cones. The hypothesis was that these amateur (though race-experienced) drivers were a little less inhibited with a small amount of alcohol, but that more of it cost them judgment, response time, etc.

Not the same thing as for what we do, obviously.

Chip Bearden