Learn The Impacts Of Drinking And Driving

It doesn't matter what kind of vehicle you drive, be it a motorcycle, car, truck, or anything else. If you get behind the wheel after you've consumed alcohol, then you're committing a very serious crime. Drinking and driving can also be known as DUI, which is driving under the influence, or DWI, which is driving while intoxicated. It usually involved the operation of a vehicle when your BAC, or blood alcohol content is 0.08 percent or higher. Having said that, even smaller amounts of alcohol might wind up resulting in dangerous situations that hurt people. Some drivers might not even show the warning signs of personally being under the influence; however, that does not mean they're any less dangerous to themselves or others. It's crucial to keep in mind that any kind of drinking and driving will be illegal, carrying stringent penalties with it.

The biggest group that is at risk for drinking and driving is those who participate in binge drinking or might be struggling with an AUD, or alcohol use disorder. That means they intake large volumes of alcohol in short periods of time, which puts them at elevated risk of harmful side effects. It typically takes approximately half an hour up to two hours for any imbibed alcohol to get absorbed into a person's bloodstream. In this time, a person's breathing might slow down, along with delays in their cognitive skills. Due to this, drinking and driving are always dangerous to do and you may end up need to find the best DWI lawyer to take your case if you land one.

Alcoholism, fortunately, is a condition which can get treated thanks to specialized treatment centers. If you or someone you care about happens to be struggling with their own drinking problem, then it is time to get help so you can get things together. Consult a treatment expert right away so you can find highly rated rehab facilities which fit your needs and circumstances.

The Risks Of Getting Involved In Drinking And Driving

Any volume of alcohol in a person's bloodstream will influence their ability to drive. The impact of alcohol abuse varies greatly from one person to the next, which puts you at a high level of risk of causing an injury or accident. Safe driving necessitates being able to concentrate, react quickly to circumstances, and make good judgments. On the other hand, alcohol can affect all those skills, which puts not only yourself but also others in danger.

There are multiple ways in which alcohol impairs a person's driving skills:

Slowed Reaction Times

If alcohol is present in your system, then it impacts how fast you are able to respond to various circumstances. Drinking means slowed response times, and that means that accidents are more likely. As such, if a vehicle ahead of you brakes all of the sudden or there is a pedestrian trying to cross the street, your brain needs more time to process the situation in order to prevent an accident.

Lackful Coordination

Heavy drinking also impacts your various motor skills, including hand, foot, and eye coordination. Without these vital coordination skills, you might not be able to avoid any impending and harmful circumstances. Some of the telltale signs of having reduced coordination can include swaying, and inability to stand up straight, and difficulty walking. An excess of alcohol might even make it hard for you to get into your vehicle and find its ignition.

Reduced Concentration

Alcohol, regardless of how much or little there is, has the ability to impact your concentration. In the case of driving, there are a lot of things that need your total concentration, like staying inside your lane, traffic signals, other vehicles on the road, and your speed. Your attention span gets reduced dramatically with drinking, and that significantly boosts your odds of being in an accident.

A Decrease In Vision

Excessive consumption of alcohol can impact your vision negatively. After you drink, you might notice that your vision has gotten blurry. You might even be unable to actually control the movements of your eyes. Impaired vision affects how well you judge distances between your own vehicle and others that are on the road. Also, fewer objects might show up in your peripheral vision, which is what you're able to see both sides if you're looking directly ahead.

Inhibited Judgement

Your brain usually controls how you wind up judging particular situations. When you are operating any motorized vehicle, the judgment skills you have played a crucial role in your decision making. For example, you have the ability to foresee possible problems and then make very clear decisions in instances, like when you get cut off by another vehicle. Your judgment is what helps you remain alert and very aware of the current and surrounding conditions when you're driving.

How BAC Levels Impact Driving

A BAC level of just 0.08 percent is what is legally considered impaired in many states. On the other hand, alcohol might start impacting quite a few of your senses following just one drink. Regardless of the circumstances, drinking and driving is never something you should do. It's just not worth the potential risks involved in putting both yourself and others in jeopardy.

The following are examples of how blood alcohol content levels impact your driving:

0.02 BAC

Increased relaxation, mood swings, inability to handle multitasking, a decrease in visual functionality, slightly elevated body temperature, and a lack of judgment

0.05 BAC

Even more lack of judgment, a lack of coordination, a lack of alertness, decreased control over small muscles, a reduction in response rates, lacking inhibitions, diminished ability in detecting moving objects, exaggerated behaviors

0.08 BAC

A reduction in muscle coordination, a lack of reasoning, short-term memory loss, lacking speed control, a reduction in the ability for information processing, a reduction in concentration ability, less self-control, less judgment

0.10 BAC

Poor coordination, reduced ability in vehicle control, slurred speech, less ability to maintain a vehicle within a lane or appropriately brake, reduced reaction times

0.15 BAC

Almost zero muscle control, impaired information processing in both auditory and visual mediums, substantially lowered attention paid to driving tasks, vomiting, severe loss of balance

Crashes include quite a few economic costs, such as:

Congestion
Emergency medical service
Insurance administration
Legal expenses
Lost productivity
Medical costs
Property damage

Workplace losses

Who Is At The Most Risk?

The consumption of alcohol is something that can put everyone at the risk of causing serious accidents and injuries. On the other hand, there are some populations that are more likely to drive after they drink.

Drivers in the age range of 16 to 20 are 10 more times likely to get involved in fatal crashes as compared to drivers who are 21 or older. There have been serious decreases in the number of cases involving underage drinking and driving, a lot of communities are still rolling out fresh initiatives aimed at keeping adolescents safe. Nearly a million high school students admitted to having done drinking and driving in the year 2011 alone.

Those 21 to 24 are the second most risky group for alcohol-related crashes. 2012 data showed that this age group has the most drivers, percentage-wise, in fatal crashes of those with 0.08 BAC or more. Binge drinking was behind many of those cases, which is when someone consumes too much alcohol over a shorter period of time. This frequently impacts young professionals and college students who go to social events like parties that have easy access to alcoholic beverages.