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.
The cost of these crashes totaled more than $230 billion. Almost 3 million people were injured and more than 45,000 died. On average, another person dies in a car crash every 12 minutes in this country â thatâs approximately 123 deaths per day. The AAA Foundation's Aggressive Driving update found that aggressive driving behaviors are a factor in up to 56% of fatal crashes.