Drinkers Can’t Tell the Drunk Driving Limit

Alcohol can cause significant impairment when a person becomes inebriated, resulting in blurred vision, delayed reaction times, impaired judgment, and more. An intoxicated person behind the wheel of a vehicle can be a serious danger to themselves and others. 

Unfortunately, drunk driving accidents occur at alarming rates. That’s because many drinkers don’t realize when they’ve reached the legal limit. Someone might feel like their driving abilities haven’t been compromised, but the amount of alcohol they have in their system could tell a much different story.

Drivers will get behind the wheel of their cars after consuming alcohol, thinking they can handle the drive home. However, a slower reaction time, poor decision-making skills, and reduced coordination prevent them from operating their vehicles safely, resulting in drunk driving accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 28 people die in accidents involving drunk driving every day in the United States. 

Do You Know When You’ve Had Enough to Drink?

Researchers at the University of Cambridge performed a study with 90 participants to determine whether they knew when to stop drinking before driving. The researchers split the students into two separate groups. Everyone consumed wine or beer until their breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) reached 0.11 percent.

Once the participants reached a BrAC of 0.05 percent, researchers informed them to switch from wine to beer or vice versa. Researchers tracked how much alcohol each person drank using breathalyzers. The participants were supposed to guess the amount of alcohol in their system and determine when they had reached the legal limit.

The alcohol concentration in more than one-third of the participants exceeded the limit. On the second day of the study, more than half of the participants exceeded the limit by the time they determined they reached the legal level of intoxication.

How to Better Monitor Intoxication

Driving under the influence is dangerous. Although some motorists believe they can drive safely after having a few drinks, the risk of an accident increases.

The results of the two-day study described above show how little people know about the effects of alcohol on their bodies. Everyone must understand how alcohol affects their ability to drive safely. The effects are very individual. One drink might not have much of an impact on one person but could significantly impair another person’s driving abilities. The best option is to avoid driving after drinking any amount of alcohol.

In an Accident with a Drunk Driver? El Paso Car Accident Attorney Michael Gopin Can Help

Since 1987, the legal team from the Law Offices of Michael J. Gopin, PLLC has represented clients injured by the negligence of others. Drunk driving accidents can lead to severe injuries and have long-lasting consequences for the victims. You deserve the chance to hold the at-fault driver liable and seek the maximum compensation available. 

If you were injured in an accident caused by a drunk driver, do not hesitate to contact our El Paso drunk driving accident lawyers for a free consultation. With over 30 years of combined legal experience, you can rest assured you will be in trusted and capable hands. A car accident lawyer in El Paso can describe the compensation you might be entitled to and fight for you to get it.

Michael J. Gopin

Michael J. Gopin has practiced law in El Paso since 1987. Even after more than 30 years, he still remembers his first jury case. It was two weeks after receiving his license, when he represented a person whose life had been forever changed after being blinded in a work-related incident...