How does drinking even a little alcohol affect a driver?

On Behalf of | Mar 8, 2021 | Car Accidents |

Part of the reason why drinking alcohol before driving is such a problem is that many people do not think it is a problem — or at least not one that applies to them. The seem to believe they have superpowers that enable them to have a drink and then get in the car and drive home safely. However, few would dispute that alcohol makes other drivers worse.

The effect of different levels of alcohol on drivers

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), these are the effects that different blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) have on your driving:

  • 02: You become less able to judge the speed of another vehicle and your ability to do two things at once decrease.
  • 05: You become less coordinated, get even worse at judging speed and at steering. You will be less able to react in an emergency.
  • 08: You find it harder to concentrate on the road. You are more likely to miss stop signals or other vehicles’ brake lights or turn signals. You get worse at maintaining the correct speed and become more likely to miss pedestrians or cyclists.
  • 10: You struggle to stay in your lane or brake.
  • 15: You will have difficulty controlling your vehicle or noticing external sights and sounds.

The alcohol limit for most drivers is 0.08% BAC. Younger drivers and commercial drivers are subject to lower limits. Yet, as you can see from the information above, smaller amounts of alcohol also worsen people’s driving. If a driver who has been drinking crashes in to you, it is vital to seek full compensation for expenses and damages. While they might have been under the limit, it does not mean they were able to drive safely.

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