It’s a known fact that driving while drunk is dangerous. It endangers several lives every year. And yet, many drivers still risk driving under the influence. Perhaps some of them have done so in the past and didn’t experience consequences or didn’t get caught. So they keep doing it.
Sure, some cases of drinking while intoxicated aren’t as dramatic as one might imagine. A drunk driver might simply lose their way or knock down a garbage bin on a street. But realistically, driving while drunk comes with dangerous consequences. And understanding what they are will help drivers avoid doing it at all.
Risks of Drunk Driving
Depending on the blood alcohol concentration of a driver, they may experience the following while driving:
- impaired judgment
- Impaired vision
- poor muscle coordination
- loss of self-control
- slow response time
Altogether, they make a recipe for a road disaster. Two common accidents that occur because of drunk driving are head-on collisions and rear-end collisions. Because drivers have slow response times, they might not be able to halt their car as soon as they need to. Drivers might also run into pedestrians due to their impaired vision.
Alcohol-related road accidents may lead to different kinds of injuries. Depending on the severity of an accident, the people involved may suffer from traumatic brain injury, spinal injury, limb injury, and organ damage.
Drunk driving also kills people. In 2016, it led to 10,497 deaths in the U.S.
Ways to Prevent Drunk Driving
Drunk driving is a criminal offense. If you drive while you’re intoxicated and cause an accident, you will face jail time of up to six months or a year. You can hire a criminal defense attorney to help with your case. But if you caused others serious injuries or even death, you’d still have to face consequences.
This mistake is very easily avoidable if drivers consciously make the effort not to drive their cars after some drinks. Here are some tips to avoid drunk driving:
Choose a Designated Driver
If you’re going out with a group of friends or family, designate a driver instead of taking the wheel yourself. This driver should ideally be a non-drinker. Otherwise, the designated driver should not be allowed to drink any alcohol. If you go out for drinks with the same group of people, you might consider taking turns on who will stay sober so that everyone gets a chance to drink with the group.
Let Someone Else Drive
If you’re going alone to meet friends for a drink, consider just leaving your car at home and hiring a ride instead. Book a ride using either Uber or Lyft.
Another option is to ask someone to pick you up, such as a family member, a friend, or your significant other. This is a relatively safer option since you personally know who will drive you home.
Stop Drinking Hours Before You Drive
If you insist on driving yourself home, you should stop drinking a few hours before leaving. This way, you will sober up and don’t risk yourself on the road.
The number of hours will depend on what and how much you drank. For instance, if you only had a small shot of liquor, an hour will be enough to sober you up. If you had a serving of wine or beer, you need to wait two to three hours for the alcohol to wear off. If you drink more, it’s best to just ask someone else to drive, as suggested earlier.
Eat Before You Drink
Many people drink on an empty stomach, albeit unintentionally. If you do this, you’ll get drunk immediately.
Your body will absorb alcohol more slowly if your stomach is full. Thus, make sure you have a full meal before going out for a drink. It’s also a good idea to eat while you drink.
Know Your Limits
If you drink often, you’ll have an idea how much alcohol you can take before you get drunk. Thus, make sure that you stick to your limits when you drink outside. Decide how many shots or glasses of alcohol you will allow yourself. And when you reach it, learn to say no to offers from friends to drink more.
Crash at a Friend’s Place
Another option is to spend the night at a friend’s house, especially if it’s nearby your drinking spot. Make sure to tell your friend beforehand of your plan to sleep over.
Driving while drunk is not debatable. It should not be done at all. With many ways to prevent drunk driving, there is no excuse for it.
