To drive safely, drivers need to be alert, well-rested and sober. When a driver chooses to get drunk or even simply has enough drinks to feel tipsy, that driver is putting others at risk when getting behind the wheel.
Even though the legal alcohol limit for drivers is .08 percent, that doesn’t mean that having less alcohol in your blood won’t affect you.
What happens to your body when you drink?
When you drink alcohol, several things change. First, your reflexes slow down. Second, your eyes are affected such that your vision may become blurry or indistinct. Next, your ability to track your position with your eyes and to recognize your surroundings changes.
In terms of driving, your ability to comprehend changes in the road or to make rational decisions is affected. You may also have poor reaction times as well as poor coordination and concentration.
You don’t have to be legally drunk to cause an accident
With over 10,000 young people killed in the United States every year as a result of alcohol (according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), it’s clear that people need to understand the role alcohol plays in car crashes. The current limit is the point at which you should never drive, but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily safe to drive with a blood alcohol concentration under .08 percent.
Even those who aren’t legally drunk by this limit may still show signs of intoxication. If they cause cause an accident, they may be charged with reckless driving or some other traffic offense, not to mention any civil claims car accidents victims may file.
As a victim of a drunk driving accident, it’s your right to look into ways to receive compensation. If the driver who hit you was drunk or merely tipsy, that’s a good enough reason to look into your options. Drunk driving is a hazard, and it’s important to get those who would drive drunk off the roads.