Much as you would like to believe you will never encounter a problem involving a drunk driver, statistics cited by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) indicate that someone is injured by a drunk driver every two minutes in our country. Even more astonishing is the fact that as much as one-third of all incidents, including crashes, deaths and injuries, are caused by repeat offenders. Learning more about how alcohol affects driving skills will help you recognize a possible drunk driver who may be on the road with you.
A drunk driver will have coordination issues
Two units of alcohol are equivalent to a single alcoholic drink , a half pint of average-strength lager or a 125-ml glass of average-strength wine-and two units of alcohol can increase the reaction time of a driver by 0.2 seconds. What this means is that while driving under the influence, an individual may react more slowly to an unexpected incident. Coordination will become a problem because hand-eye-foot coordination will be adversely affected.
Poor judgment becomes a serious problem
Alcohol consumption prior to driving can result in faulty depth perception. It may become difficult to judge how far away other cars are. Because alcohol also causes eye muscles to lose precision, the drunk driver will likely have to grapple with blurred vision and the inability to focus properly. The ability to make rational decisions will also be impaired.
Confidence is heightened
Among the more serious effects of drinking is that a person will often experience a false sense of confidence. This can be dangerous. A driver who has had too much to drink may think that he or she is driving perfectly well when, in fact, the opposite is true.
Spotting a drunk driver
You should keep as far away as possible from a driver who is having trouble staying within a lane or whose wheels keep brushing the side of the road. An individual who is driving too fast or too slow, or who speeds up, then slows down erratically may very well be intoxicated. Tailgating, aggressive or reckless driving behavior, such as cruising through a stop sign, are other signs of possible drunk driving.
Being responsible behind the wheel
You may think that having just one beer or one glass of wine is not a problem when you get behind the wheel. Keep in mind, however, that accidents can happen in seconds. Even if you have had nothing to drink, you could be involved in a crash because of a driver who is inebriated. If this should happen to you, attorneys who are experienced with cases involving drunk driving and personal injury are standing by to help.