Safer Driving Is Important
This article is not another one on how to learn basic driving skills. You don’t need to be reading about changing lanes, parallel parking and turn signals. Instead you will be learning about the risks taken when drinking and driving and how drinking even a little before driving can cause major problems. Associations like MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, have been able to make great strides in educating people about driving after drinking. However you should consider how drinking can affect your driving skills.
To start, taking even one drink begins to affect your ability to multitask. Some of us are not good at multitasking even when sober, so drinking will only make this ability or inability much worse. This is why so many television shows feature hilarious antics as a drunken person tries to do more than one thing at a time, normally making a mess of it all. Our brains just can’t deal with the alcohol and still be able to function normally, and it seems to be the ability to multitask that goes first.
Concentration is essential for driving and this can be hard even if you are sober. You need to keep an eye on a number of things; out of the windshield, side mirrors and rearview mirrors just to name a few. Even in rural roads where there are fewer drivers you still have to be alert, because you never know when an animal might dart out across the road. Your driving will suffer if you are not at your most alert.
The road is a difficult place to drive even when sober, especially really busy roads. This is true because there are so many variables that can change at any given time. Other people are also driving vehicles, and we can’t always assume that we know what another driver is going to do in advance. The older lady in the car next to you may decide to change lanes at the last minute, or begin to brake half a mile before the stop sign. Other drivers are not always as careful as they should be, either. Drinking only makes reaction times slower. Instead of easily navigating traffic, we tend to react slowly, and can easily wind up in an accident.
This article just illustrates a few points of how even the smallest amount of alcohol can prevent you from driving safely. Driving under the influence is just not the smartest thing to do. Given the dangers of driving after drinking, it is best to try to take preventive action. Something to think about is choosing a designated driver, or even abstain from alcohol altogether. If you really cannot arrange any alternative you can always just sleep in your car. The sacrifice will be well worth it as your safety and that of others is of paramount importance.
This information is provided solely for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.
William Bly of Nielsen and Bly is a Maine attorney whose website has more information available about DUI penalties in Maine.