Not everyone understands the importance of sobriety while driving because they do not know how alcohol affects the driver’s reaction time. The reaction is the action of the body in response to a stimulus.
There is a myth about alcohol and driving. It’s called “I can control myself.” But the fact is that any amount of alcohol in the blood can affect driving skills and increase the risk of an accident. So even if you need to drive a few meters – it is better to walk.
The number of drunk driving accidents varies from country to country. It is about 20% of the total in high-income countries, from 33 to 69% in low and medium. These are the accidents that might not happen at all!
Different amounts of alcohol affect everyone, but the effect is usually the same – the necessary skills while driving suffer.
Also, the holiday season is a time of increased risk of road accidents. Not only because of the weather but also the irresponsible behavior of some drivers after the celebration. Safe driving requires concentration and the ability to react quickly and make decisions. The risk of death in the case of drunk driving increases 17 times. Let’s see main dangers of drunk driving closer.
Table of Contents
Alcohol Increases Your Risk of a Crash
Among all drunk drivers, most have low levels of alcohol in their blood. With such a small amount of alcohol, a person does not notice the effects of alcohol. While the desire to show professionalism increases, the passion for ignoring traffic rules awakens. The driver begins to drive aggressively, which significantly complicates the movement of others.
There is an inadequate reaction to what is happening on the road. If you want to learn more about this topic, including the causes and effects of drunk driving, you can look at some essays about drunk driving. Such essay examples can be helpful not only for college or university students, and those who want to know how alcohol increases the risk of a crash can find something useful for their education.
Sometimes the complexity of the situation is not perceived in the right way, which leads to sad consequences.
Decreased Vision
Alcohol can reduce acuity. At the same time, it affects peripheral vision, which can cause “tunnel” vision – when the driver has poor eyesight of what is happening on the sides.
It can also affect pupil size changes – it can be harder for drivers who have been drinking to get used to the headlights of oncoming cars.
Slowed Reaction Time
The driver’s reaction to the car is considered from a scientific point of view as the time after which the driver took measures to avoid an accident from the moment he noticed the danger. Many factors influence the ability to pay attention to such circumstances on time. In this case, the response time is divided into 2 phases: the first is a set of body reactions to detect the danger and transmit a signal to the brain to begin to act. The second phase of the motor is the driver’s actions to stop the car. The first phase can take different times in humans, and the second is almost all the same.
Even a short response time is not always a guarantee that an accident can be avoided. The danger may arise unexpectedly, and the braking distance may be greater than the distance to the object on the road. The speed, time of year, pavement, and humidity level affect the braking distance in driving directions.
The brain is the first to take the blow when drinking alcohol, and the processes of inhibition begin with a minimum amount of drunk. However, many rely on their professionalism and luck and do not see anything wrong with taking it lightly.
Poor Judgment
Legislation in different countries in this area is not perfect. Every drunk driving lawyer considers existing fines and penalties for drunk driving irrelevant. So drivers are not afraid of such punishments and continue to drive when they are drunk.
To do this, many activists are proposing specific changes, such as increasing fines for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or fleeing the scene of an accident.
Conclusion
No matter how much you drink, getting into the car is miserable and hazardous. If you see or know a person who has been drinking and is going to drive – do not allow this to happen, and do not get in the car with such a driver! Remember, that there is no safe blood alcohol level.
