22 November 2002: A driver who has taken alcohol within the current legal limits is more likely to take risks, a study using simulated driving suggests.

The research was carried out at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine inWinston-Salem, North Carolina.

Thirteen male social drinkers received alcohol or placebo during each of four test sessions. They then drove through cone-defined lanes of wider or narrower widths. Opting for the narrower lane defined the risk-taking element. The 0.5 g/kg alcohol dose, compared to other alcohol doses or placebo, significantly increased risk-taking, the researchers found.