It is common knowledge that drinking and driving is one of the most dangerous and reckless things you can do. Yet, despite this knowledge, people across Colorado choose to get behind the wheel while intoxicated. Drunk driving is a concerning problem that continues to plague not only Colorado, but the entire country. The effects of alcohol consumption make safe driving a near impossibility, regardless of your driving experience level.
As you drive, your eyes, feet and hands control your vehicle, and your brain controls all of these. After consuming alcohol, your brain function and cognitive ability significantly slow down, preventing you from making quick decisions and responding to a rapidly changing environment. If you can’t focus, concentrate or react quickly to situations, there’s no way you can safely operate a motor vehicle. Here are a few ways alcohol will hinder your ability to drive.
Concentration
There are so many things that need your undivided concentration when you drive. You must be mindful of your speed, traffic signals and other vehicles, not to mention making sure your vehicle stays on the driving surface. No matter how little alcohol you consume, it will affect your concentration, which can greatly reduce your ability to drive and increase the odds of an accident.
Impaired vision
After you drink alcohol, it is likely you will experience blurred vision, and you may be unable to control your eye movement. The blurred and impaired vision that comes with alcohol consumption will prevent you from accurately judging the distance between your vehicle and other objects or vehicles on the road. If you can’t see, you can’t drive.
Slow reaction time
When you have alcohol in your system, your response time slows significantly, and you can’t respond to different situations. Imagine you’re driving while intoxicated and the car in front of you stops suddenly. Your brain won’t be able to process the situation fast enough for you to brake in time, and you may cause an accident.
What if you are in an accident with a drunk driver?
Tragically, thousands of people die or sustain injuries every year in accidents caused by drunk drivers. Unfortunately, you can’t control the actions and decisions of other drivers on the road. Even if you practice safe driving habits, wear your seatbelt and do everything right, you could still be involved in an accident with someone who made the poor decision to get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol.
If you survive the accident, you could suffer injuries that require extensive treatment and take weeks or even months to heal. As you can imagine, a scenario such as this can cause much financial distress. If you suffer injuries or the loss of an immediate family member at the hands of a negligent driver, there are options available to help you obtain monetary damages.