Driving under the influence of alcohol is both hazardous and deadly, with side effects including diminished attention span, slower reaction times and impaired motor skills.
Drivers whose blood alcohol concentration (BAC) falls under the legal limit may still experience adverse side effects from alcohol consumption, with research showing their hand-eye coordination being diminished as early as 0.015% BAC.
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Impaired judgment
People who drink alcohol tend to become distracted while driving and make poor decisions that put others in danger. Even small amounts can alter judgement and cause you to lose control of your vehicle – something especially dangerous when operating it on waterways.
Drivers who are impaired may not realize it; they often don’t recognize the telltale signs, like slurred speech or difficulty inserting keys into their ignitions. Therefore, it’s crucial that drivers understand how alcohol affects their driving ability as well as any laws in their locality regarding this matter.
Prescription medications which interfere with driving safely may lead to your arrest, including sleep aids, anti-anxiety medicines, muscle relaxants, sedatives and allergy meds.
Difficulty concentrating
Driving is an activity which demands both brain and body to function at peak efficiency, and drivers must remain focused and attentive while on the road. Alcohol or drug consumption may result in disorientation and distraction from other drivers on the road.
Alcohol interferes with a driver’s reaction time and concentration, hindering them from responding quickly to potential hazards on the road and maneuvering without hitting anything. Even small amounts can have these side effects; therefore it is crucial that drivers drink responsibly – this includes abstaining from alcohol before driving as well as stimulants such as coffee or energy drinks which could just as potentially dangerous.
Reaction time is impaired
Alcohol slows reaction times and may cause people to miss critical information such as oncoming traffic and potential danger. This could result in taking dangerous turns that place themselves or others at risk.
Even small amounts of alcohol can have this impact and it’s difficult to ascertain your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). You may feel sober but still exceed legal limits.
People who drive under the influence pose a danger to themselves, their passengers and others on the road. Drinking responsibly would help avoid many deaths on our roadways – the best way to do this would be calling a taxi or ride-hailing service after having drinks.
Motor skills are impaired
Alongside alcohol, many drivers also consume prescription drugs while driving – this includes stimulants like caffeine, amphetamines and cocaine – that can impair reaction time or cause shakiness; in extreme cases some users may even experience hallucinations while under their influence.
Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is always hazardous, regardless of their blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Drunk driving has caused hundreds of fatal and injuries accidents on land as well as water.
If you know someone planning on drinking and driving, try talking them out of it. Offer to drive them home or suggest alternative means of getting where they need to be; doing this could prevent a DUI charge and save lives.
Getting pulled over
Avoiding drunk driving altogether is by staying sober when behind the wheel. If necessary, ask someone sober to ride with you or call an appropriate taxi/ride-hailing service for sober transport.
If you see squad car lights behind you, switch on your hazard lights and locate a safe location where you can stop safely before remaining calm and polite while exercising your right to remain silent.
An officer may ask to smell your breath or collect blood or urine samples. Failing a breath test could result in jail time and increased fines; additionally, having been convicted of DUI could raise your insurance premiums significantly. A reputable alcohol abuse treatment provider can assist with breaking addiction habits and developing healthier lifestyle choices.
With highly rated years of experience defending clients charged with driving under intoxication, MASS TSANG LLP can provide the best defense for their clients.
