If you consume alcohol, and your friend consumes the same type and amount, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will have identical effects on either of your bodies. If you were both to take a blood test, your blood alcohol content (BAC) level might not be the same. However, when people drink too much alcohol, they typically experience similar impairments, especially if they attempt to operate a motor vehicle. Understanding the effects of alcohol on the body may help you avoid drunk driving accidents.
Drunk driving accidents often involve driver negligence, which usually stems from the impairments the alcohol has caused. If you’re sharing the road with an intoxicated driver, even while you’re perfectly sober, your risk of collision increases exponentially because you can’t control another driver’s behavior.
Issues that are closely related to many drunk driving accidents
If a person consumes alcohol, then gets behind the wheel of a car to drive, the impairments shown in the following list might be present:
- Blurred vision
- Cognitive delay
- Mental confusion
- Slowed reaction time
- Altered depth perception
- Lack of coordination and muscle tone
- Impaired judgement
When more than one of these elements exists simultaneously, it’s a recipe for disaster. A driver who feels confused might enter a highway heading in the wrong direction. Trouble with depth perception might result in clipping a curb or parked car while taking a bend or turning too wide and striking a car in the other lane.
If you notice erratic driving behavior
Navigating Texas roadways can be challenging, especially when there’s heavy traffic moving at highway speeds. You can’t change another person’s behavior. However, if you notice that a specific driver is showing signs of intoxication, you might be able to drop back in traffic or take the next exit to distance yourself and improve safety.
It’s not always possible to do that, though. You might get stuck in a position on the road where you can’t change lanes and you can’t distance yourself from a nearby vehicle. It only takes a moment for a tragedy to occur. If a drunk driving accident occurs, the following weeks and months (or longer) after the collision might be the most challenging and difficult time of your life.
Recovering from a drunk driving accident
Sadly, many drunk driving accidents in Texas are fatal. If you’re hit by a drunk driver and survive your injuries, you may need extensive medical cause and financial support while you take time off work to recover. State law allows recovering victims to file legal claims seeking compensation for damages.