You’ve no doubt heard that drinking alcohol can affect your ability to drive a car safely, but do you really understand the profound impact that alcohol consumption can have on your driving ability?
Here are just some of the ways that drinking alcohol can impact your ability to safely operate a motor vehicle.
Anyone who’s ever had more than a few adult beverages already knows that alcohol adversely affects mental functions, and the ability to make good judgement calls is one of the first cognitive functions to go.
A blood alcohol content (BAC) level as low as .02 percent can impair your ability to make sound decisions.
Driving requires that you concentrate on a laundry list of tasks, such as keeping track of your speed and the position of your vehicle, monitoring the other cars on the road, talking to passengers, paying attention to the GPS, and changing the radio station.
When you’re under the influence of alcohol, you can often only concentrate on one thing at a time—and after a few drinks, even that can be difficult.
Your ability to understand traffic signs, signals, and situations decreases with every drink you take. A drunk driver is a confused driver who can’t respond quickly enough to emergency situations or even understand the meaning of simple signs and signals, such as stop signs or red lights.
Consuming alcohol impairs your ability to coordinate both fine motor skills (such as putting the key in the ignition) and gross motor skills (such as walking to the car).
It also decimates your reaction time by 15 to 25 percent, reduces visual acuity by up to 32 percent, impairs your ability to judge the position of your car, and affects your hearing and night vision.
Most people are already aware of the dangers of drinking and driving, but it doesn’t stop them. If you have been hurt in a car accident because of a drunk driver, you could be entitled to financial compensation.
Contact the Mirian Law Firm at 647-556-5888 or complete the form on our website to set up a free consultation today.
