It is never ok to drive while under the influence of illegal substances such as alcohol or drugs as they can severely impact a person’s ability to operate a vehicle. Alcohol can affect a driver’s reaction time, judgment, coordination, vision, concentration, and other critical skills necessary to operate a vehicle safely and responsibly on the road. If an individual consumes alcohol before they drive, they are putting everyone else’s safety at risk. Serious collisions and injuries can result if a driver does not abide by the rules of the road. If you have been injured in a drunk driving accident due to another motorist’s negligence, contact a determined Port St. Lucie Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer who can help you recover fair compensation for damages.
What impact does alcohol have on an individual’s ability to drive?
Alcohol affects individuals’ physical and mental abilities in many different ways. Alcohol consumption can cause a mental decline which ultimately impacts an individual’s critical motor skills which are needed to operate a vehicle. If a driver disobeys the rules of the road and operates a vehicle while impaired, they can cause devastating accidents and injuries. Drunk driving accidents are often tragic.
Judgment
The consumption of alcohol can alter and cloud an individual’s judgment when operating a vehicle. Alcohol can influence an individual to make bad decisions such as getting behind the wheel. It can cause a person to act irresponsibly and take more risks. Sober individuals can make smart choices and judgments which ensure everyone’s safety. However, impaired individuals cannot do the same. Impaired individuals are not able to estimate the distance between themselves and other vehicles. They can not judge what speed they are traveling at. They can not properly judge the movement of another vehicle. Alcohol will negatively affect an individual’s judgment while driving.
Coordination
Individuals may experience a loss of coordination when consuming alcohol. This lack of coordination can cause them to have a decrease in important motor skills needed to operate a vehicle. Alcohol consumption can impair an individual’s eye-hand-and-foot coordination. This can cause a driver difficulty when steering the wheel. This could also cause difficulty when pressing on the gas and brake pedals.
Concentration
Driving takes a lot more concentration than people typically realize. When you consume alcohol your ability to concentrate is severely lowered. This could seriously affect your ability to stay alert on the road. If you fail to concentrate you may swerve into different lanes, fail to maintain the speed limit, and fail to obey traffic signals. A driver must pay attention to the road, alcohol significantly shrinks a driver’s attention span.
Vision
Alcohol can severely impair an individual’s vision. With blurred vision, individuals may not see oncoming vehicles. They may not see stop signs, yield signs, hazard signs, traffic lights, or pedestrians on the road which could cause serious collisions and injuries. Alcohol significantly decreases your peripheral vision. Impaired individuals have a difficult time seeing anything that isn’t right in front of them. They will not be able to see any obstacles on either side. This includes other vehicles or pedestrians on the road.
If you have been injured in a drunk driving accident, don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our skilled and dedicated team members. Our firm is committed to helping victims get back on their feet.
