Everyone knows that driving under the influence of alcohol is dangerous, but few people actually consider why. Ultimately, it comes down to the effects that alcohol has on your body.
According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc., alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows down the central nervous system. The CNS is composed of the brain and spinal cord, and it is responsible for controlling nearly all of your body’s functions, including those that are essential for operating a motor vehicle safely.
Depressants affect everything from hand-eye coordination and motor skills to vision acuity and concentration. Although the legal driving limit is 0.08, individuals can experience depressant effects when their blood alcohol concentration is as low as 0.04.
According to Be Responsible About Drinking, people with a BAC of 0.04 can have impaired cognitive function and poor reasoning skills. Alcohol can also affect your:
- Judgment;
- Concentration;
- Coordination;
- Reaction time; and
Despite the dangerous effects that alcohol has on the body, people drive under the influence every single day. If you were injured in a car accident with a drunk driver, contact Eells & Tronvold Law Offices, PLC.
You may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and non-economic damages. Call 319-393-1020 to schedule a free consultation with a Cedar Rapids accident lawyer.
Read on to learn more about the ways alcohol can hinder someone’s ability to operate a motor vehicle:
- Judgment
Alcohol affects your mental faculties first, and even people who have had just a few drinks can end up doing something they regret because of poor judgment. Sadly, it is this loss of reasonable caution that leads many people to drive after drinking.
- Concentration
Driving requires you to focus on several things at once, which is incredibly hard to do while under the influence of alcohol. Drinking affects your ability to concentrate on even simple tasks, which can lead to a devastating collision if you get behind the wheel.
- Coordination
Alcohol affects fine motor skills first and, for those who continue to drink, gross motor skills, too. For example, individuals who have had a little to drink may struggle to put the key in the ignition, whereas those who have had a lot to drink will not even be able to remain upright when walking to the car. Field sobriety tests rely on alcohol’s effects on balance and coordination to identify drunk drivers.
- Reaction Time
Because alcohol slows down functions of the central nervous system, individuals who are impaired take longer to identify, understand, and respond to situations.
- Vision
Alcohol can affect your ability to see clearly. It also inhibits your depth perception and ability to judge distance.
If you sustained serious injuries in a collision with a motorist who was under the influence of alcohol, contact Eells & Tronvold Law Offices, PLC. Call 319-393-1020 to schedule a free consultation with an injury attorney in Cedar Rapids. You can learn more about drunk driving accident claims in Iowa by visiting USAttorneys.com.