When driving under the influence, how does alcohol affect reaction time?

When considering the impact of alcohol on reaction time while driving, it’s essential to understand how alcohol affects cognitive functions. Alcohol is a depressant that slows down the central nervous system, leading to impaired motor skills and delayed cognitive processing. This means that individuals under the influence of alcohol experience a significant increase in the time it takes for them to respond to stimuli. This delayed reaction time can result in slower reflexes when making critical driving decisions, such as braking or steering.

The choice indicating that reaction time decreases is accurate because, in reality, alcohol consumption leads to slower reaction times rather than improving them. A person under the influence may find it challenging to react quickly to changing road conditions or unexpected events, which can have severe consequences on the road.

In contrast, the other options suggest that alcohol either increases reaction time, has no effect, or only affects perception—all of which contradict established findings on the relationship between alcohol consumption and driving performance.