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This is why drunk drivers often crash

On Behalf of | Feb 4, 2021 | Car accidents

Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. For instance, you’re not necessarily breaking the law in Georgia if you consume an alcoholic beverage then get behind the wheel of a car to drive. It would depend on your blood alcohol content level at the time. That doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to drink alcohol then drive, however. It’s always best to abstain from alcohol if you plan on driving.

Alcohol may affect your brain differently than another person’s. When it comes to operating a motor vehicle, there are several ways it can impair driving ability. As a result, drunk drivers are a menace to other travelers. You can be safely traveling to your destination one minute, then wind up in the back of an ambulance the next if another driver makes an irresponsible choice to drink and drive.

New study shows impairment is possible when BAC levels are low

If a Georgia police officer gives you a Breathalyzer test and the results show that your blood alcohol content (BAC) is .08% or higher, you would be legally prohibited from operating a motor vehicle at that time. This doesn’t mean that a driver cannot become impaired with a lower BAC. In fact, new studies show that ocular tracking ability may be impaired at BAC levels as low as .015.

The amount of alcohol you’d likely have to consume to register a .015 BAC on a Breathalyzer test may equate to a few sips of wine or half of a bottle of beer. You can imagine the level of impairment that can set in with a BAC .08 or higher.

A BAC higher than 0.00 can impair driving ability

A drunk driver still has to visually process motion, react to a changing environment and be able to remain alert and aware of his or her surroundings at the wheel. Researchers have determined that driving impairment may occur much sooner than previously believed.

If a driver has trouble visually processing motion, his or her vehicle may start to swerve or veer out of its lane. Many people start to feel sluggish after a minimal amount of alcohol consumption. You could be the unsuspecting victim of a serious collision if a driver nods off at the wheel after drinking one or more alcoholic beverages before driving.

Recovering from a drunk driving collision

Your recovery may be long and arduous if you suffer injuries in a drunk driving collision. The grief of such incidents is intensified by knowing that the collision that caused your injuries was likely avoidable were it not for another person’s negligence.

Building a strong support network from the start is a key to successful recovery. In addition to physical injuries, you may experience severe emotional trauma and financial distress, as well. Trusted friends, medical teams, family members, licensed counselors and others can provide much needed support in the days and weeks that follow a motor vehicle collision.

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