How Does Alcohol Affect Your Driving? Dangers & Consequences
Even a first-time offense can cost more than $10,000 in fines and legal fees. It’s true that different situations can happen to different people and there’s no one-crash-fits-all scenario, but the one thing you can count on when you’re drinking and driving is that anything can happen. In a growing number of states, jail terms have become mandatory, even for first-time drunk driving offenders. Typically, first-offender jail terms are one or two days in length and can be served on a weekend. But it is still jail time, which carries consequences—including consequences for your mental health. If an individual is arrested for a DUI-type offense while their driving privileges have been suspended or restricted, they may be charged with higher-level offenses.
- The National Highway Traffic Administration reports that over 30 people die daily in alcohol-involved crashes and that one person is killed every 45 minutes due to alcohol-impaired drivers.
- The effects of alcohol abuse vary greatly, putting you at risk for causing an accident or highway injury.
- After about three drinks, when your BAC reaches .05%, you may also lose control of small muscles in your eyes.
- Cutting alcohol consumption means you are less likely to feel anxious or depressed.
Drinking and Driving Do Not Mix: Here Are Options to Consider
People often think they are “fine” after several drinks – but in fact, the failure to recognize alcohol impairment is often a symptom of impairment. If you or someone you care about is battling an alcohol addiction, know that help is available. Inpatient and outpatient treatment programs are available across the country. Contact a treatment provider to find available treatment options. Repeat offenders comprise almost one-third of all convicted drunk drivers.
- More than one-third of responses involved social or environmental influences.
- Repeat offenders comprise almost one-third of all convicted drunk drivers.
- When going out with others, appoint someone to be the designated driver.
- You may be fired from your current job or have trouble securing a new job, when employers find out about the offense.
- Contact a treatment provider to find available treatment options.
- After drinking, you may notice that your vision is blurred or that you’re unable to control your eye movement.
- Most employers, schools and landlords conduct background checks on applicants, which would bring your DUI conviction to their attention.
Drinking and Driving: The Dangers of DUI
As the site FindLaw notes, while a BAC level of .08 is the legal limit, punishments for reaching or exceeding that level vary by state. “Arizona, Tennessee, and Georgia are among the states with mandatory jail time for first offenders. On the other hand, California, Connecticut, and Indiana don’t have such a requirement.
Definition: What Is a DUI?
Even sober drivers are at risk when someone is operating a vehicle while impaired. The US Department of Transportation reports that drivers with higher blood alcohol content (BAC) are 7 times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident than a sober driver. Impairment sets in long before it becomes noticeable and well before reaching the legal limit for BAC. A small amount of alcohol can impair judgment and vision, depending on factors such as gender, weight, and others.
There’s really no reliable way to self-test your ability to drive safely after drinking, even with a sleekly designed app on your phone. In 2022, 5,934 people operating a motorcycle were killed in traffic crashes. Of those motorcycle riders, 1,705 (29%) were drunk (BAC of .08 g/dL or higher).
Make healthy choices about alcohol Alcohol, drinking and teenagers
More than 1.1 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics in 2014. Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle – car, truck, motorcycle or any other motorized vehicle – after consuming alcohol is a serious crime. Drinking and driving is sometimes called driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI), and involves operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol content (BAC) level of at least 0.08%. However, even a small amount of alcohol can lead to harmful situations. Some drivers may not even show warning signs of being under the influence, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less dangerous.
How alcohol impacts your ability to drive
- Driving while under the influence of alcohol not only endangers your life, but also those of others on the road.
- Additionally, you may need to obtain an SR-22 document to verify you have purchased auto liability insurance.
- But getting a DUI may result in a host of emotions—including sadness, anger, guilt, and shame.
- In 2016, over one million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence (DUI).
Preventing drinking and driving starts before the next time you plan to drink. You can use a technique of examining each individual decision you made in the past that led to a specific outcome, consequences of driving drunk include: such as driving under the influence. The DOT study mentions other transportation reasons as well, such as not wanting to leave a vehicle somewhere or having to retrieve it the next day (4).
