The Risks & Dangers of Drunk Driving: From poor judgement, slower reaction, impaired vision, legal ramifications, increased potential of accidents or even deaths.
You have probably heard the words ‘don’t drink and drive’ so many times. There is a reason why there are so many campaigns that warn against drunk driving. As a matter of fact, there is at least one death every hour as a result of alcohol-impaired driving. This statistic is scary. You or someone you know can fall victim to this kind of accident, or you can be the one behind the wheel, putting other people’s life at risk. There is really no need for you to drive while under the influence of alcohol. After a fun night out with friends drinking, you can simply call an Uber or a Lyft to take you home. You need to think twice before getting in your car after consuming alcohol. Keep reading to understand the dangers of drunk driving.
Poor Judgement
You probably know that alcohol impairs your judgment. If you have been drunk before, then you know how alcohol can make you make bad decisions that you will regret once you sober up. You have probably heard stories about people drunk calling their exes or texting their bosses inappropriate messages. As bad as these decisions are, they are nothing compared to driving when you are intoxicated. This decision can be fatal. Driving in this condition will make you easily distracted and unable to focus on the road. Driving requires your full attention in order to focus on traffic, remain in your lane, manage your speed, and watch out for other cars. You need to be alert and awake in order to react to any sudden problems that may occur on the road. When you aren’t able to make fast decisions on the road, you are risking your and other people’s lives.
Legal Issues
Drunk driving can get you in serious legal trouble. If a cop suspects that you are intoxicated while driving and pulls you over, they will ask you to do a sobriety test on the spot. If you fail this test, you will be charged with DUI. The penalty of this charge differs in every state. If you are pulled over in California then according to a Los Angeles accident lawyer, you will either pay a fine, have your license suspended for up to three years, or spend up to one year in prison. The severity of the punishment depends on if this is your first, second, or third offense. There are even more consequences to DUI like being unable to rent a car or enter certain countries.
Slower Reaction
When you are behind the wheels, you need to be coordinated and be able to react fast. However, alcohol will slow your reaction time, which can result in an accident. For example, if someone cuts you off while you are intoxicated, you may crash into them instead of braking because your brain is unable to process the situation. Additionally, when driving, you need to coordinate all of your motor skills like your eyes, hands, and feet. Alcohol impairs your motor skills, which puts you and other people in danger.
Impaired Vision
You can’t drive if you aren’t able to see clearly. However, consuming alcohol can impair your vision by blurring it or limiting your ability to control your eyes’ movement. When your vision is impaired, you won’t be able to correctly judge the distance between your vehicle and other cars on the road. In order to avoid any accidents, if, after a night of drinking, you feel that you are unable to see clearly, avoid getting behind the wheel.
You May Kill Someone
If you drive drunk, you may kill someone. Even if you don’t care about yourself, think of other people or animals on the road that can fall victim to your reckless decision. All the reasons mentioned above can cause you to drive erratically, which may result in losing control and killing an innocent person. This won’t only have serious legal consequences that will ruin your life, but you also won’t be able to live with the guilt of ending someone’s life.
Before you leave the house, your loved ones probably tell you to drive safely. This is because driving can be dangerous if you or other people on the road are driving recklessly. In order to protect yourself and not be responsible for ruining or ending someone’s life, avoid driving drunk. Since alcohol impairs your decisions, and you may not be able to think straight while drunk, make it a rule that whenever you are going drinking with friends to take an Uber or a Lyft instead of your car, so you won’t be tempted to drive home drunk.
