Alcohol can also cause alterations in the vestibular system for short periods of time and will result in vertigo and possibly nystagmus. This is due to the variable viscosity of the blood and the endolymph during the consumption of alcohol. The common term for this type of sensation is the Bed Spins.
They pose a threat that's both tragic -- and expensive. All-told, each traffic fatality costs an average of $6 million dollars -- everything from medical and emergency services to lost earnings. A traffic injury averages $126,000, and almost 33,000 people die every year on the nation's roads.
According to a 2013 report from the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 5,615,000 car accidents in the United States in 2012. In 2011, there were 5,338,000 car accidents. A total of 33,561 people died in car accidents in the United States in 2012, which represented an increase of 1,082 over the previous year's fatalities. However, 2011 was the lowest level of car accident deaths since 1949, and the NHTSA still considered these trends to represent historic lows. Most of the fatal car accidents in 2012 â a total of 72 percent â occurred during the first quarter of the year.