Driving drunk is the cause of around 10,000 accidents every single year in the United States. Some of those who get behind the wheel intoxicated have had a lot to drink. Others, however, have had just one or two glasses of wine, beer or other alcohol. A person may be impaired enough to have his driving affected with a blood-alcohol concentration even below the legal limit of .08 percent, and a Boston drunk driving accident lawyer knows by the time someone reaches that limit, the risk of an accident is just about doubled.
Unfortunately, many people think when they have only had a little bit to drink, they are fine to drive. The truth is, they are not.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reminds motorists even being a little “tipsy” is not safe when getting behind the wheel of a car. In light of the upcoming holiday season, a popular time for drinking with friends and family, the NHTSA has issued an alert warning that “Buzzed driving is drunk driving.”
Make a Plan Before Having a Drink
Once you have had a drink or two, your judgment is impaired. Young Men’s Health warns the consumption of alcohol affects your ability to make good decisions and think with a clear head. Since it is harder to make good choices after having a drink, it is always best to plan for how you will get home before you start consuming alcohol. Once you have had even a little bit to drink, you may incorrectly think you are sober and OK to drive even when you are not actually OK.
A recent article in the Daily Mail shows how difficult it is for people to make an accurate assessment of when they may have had too much to drink. Classic indicators like gender and weight can have an impact on how alcohol affects you, but other things such as how often you drink can also have a major effect as well. For example, in one recent study, a slim dancer could drink around twice as much as someone much heavier before her driving was affected.
Business Insider also illustrated how hard it can be for motorists to make informed choices when it comes to deciding if they can drive after a drink. The problem is you may not be able to drink nearly as much as you expected before being affected. A 100-pound man who had just a single drink would have a blood-alcohol concentration of .04 percent. Meanwhile, a woman with the same weight and the same consumption of alcohol would already have a BAC of .05 percent. Some safety experts believe the legal limit should be lowered to .05 percent, so just one drink could then push someone over this limit. Even a 140-pound man who had just three drinks would hit the current legal limit of .08 percent.
Don’t take a chance on drinking one drink too many and putting your own life or the life of someone else in jeopardy. If you plan to drink anything at all, have a designated driver ready to take you home
If you are injured in an accident in Massachusetts, call Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for a free and confidential appointment — (617) 777-7777.
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