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The Dangers of Drunk Driving

Drunk driving has been a major public health issue in many countries across the world, causing significant suffering and loss of life. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, in 2017 almost 11,000 people died in the United States due to alcohol-impaired driving. This is a staggering figure, especially when considering that it accounts for almost one-third of all traffic fatalities that year.

Driving under the influence of alcohol can have severe consequences. After a few drinks, an individual’s ability to react quickly and safely on the road is impaired, often leading to dangerous and sometimes fatal accidents. Impaired judgment and slower reaction times can cause drivers to lose control of their vehicle or make pruned decisions that affect other people on the road. An impaired person may have trouble paying attention to roadway signs or may forget to use their signal when changing lanes. All of these scenarios can lead to severe crashes, causing physical and emotional suffering to those involved.

Alcohol impairs drivers’ abilities in other ways as well. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that drunk drivers are more likely to speed, tailgate, and make abrupt lane changes. They are also more likely to drive recklessly, putting other drivers and pedestrians at risk.

Those who choose to drive after drinking often don’t realize how dangerous their situation can become. Every time they get behind the wheel, they put their own lives and the lives of others at risk. One study summarized in Addiction found that a staggering 43% of male drivers and over 32% of female drivers reported driving after drinking in the last 30 days. Many of these drivers had no regard for the legal consequences or their own health.Drunk driving is a serious problem with terrible consequences. It can lead to severe injuries, extensive property damage, and even death. In the United States, for example, the government has implemented strict laws to punish offenders and keep drunk drivers off the roads.

Although laws can play a role in preventing drunk driving, it is important for individuals to take personal responsibility for their actions and make informed decisions about their safety and the safety of other people. Before getting behind the wheel, individuals should always assess their level of intoxication and never drive while under the influence. Designate a sober driver if needed, or use public transportation or taxis. Other safety strategies include following the speed limits and avoiding distractions, such as texting and talking on the phone, while driving.

Drunk driving can have detrimental consequences, but with proper education, it can be prevented. By taking the time to understand the risks of drinking and driving, one can make wiser decisions and potentially save lives.

Signs that a driver is driving under the influence of alcohol

It is a known fact that each year, some of the deaths on the road are caused by drivers who were driving under the influence of alcohol. While many of them are aware of the adverse effects that come with driving under the influence of alcohol, they still choose to ignore them.

Therefore, it is important for other road users who are sober to watch out for some of the signs that could possibly predict if a driver is under the influence of alcohol.

Here are some of the signs to look out for

Failure to abide by Traffic signs and rules

When someone is under the influence of alcohol and they are behind the wheel, there is a good chance that they would not take note of the traffic signs and signals. They will find it hard to multitask because alcohol affects coordination and motor skills.

Hence, an impaired driver might not stop when they see the red light, which can cause some disruption on the road or even an accident. In a situation where they are supposed to stop for pedestrians to use the road, they might not see them coming in time.

Additionally, some of them might take the wrong U-turns, or even drive one way. When you notice that a driver close to you is not sticking to the traffic signs, it is best to distance your vehicle from theirs to be safe.

Tailgating

Another way to know that a driver is under the influence of alcohol is when they follow behind a car too closely. This is one of the ways to tell that alcohol has impaired their sense of vision and judgment.

In most countries, it is wrong for a driver to closely follow another vehicle, and they might be sanctioned if something happens to the innocent driver.

Sudden, strange movements

You can tell if a driver is under the influence of alcohol when they make some unwarranted movements on the road.

They might stop unexpectedly, and accelerate immediately without warning. Also, they might swerve and switch lanes multiple times, or make last-minute turns which can affect the judgment of other drivers.

Signs that a driver is under the influence of alcohol

When someone is driving under the influence of alcohol, they pose a risk to other road users and themselves. It would be challenging for an intoxicated driver to act in the same way that a sober driver would.

Here are some of the signs that a drunk driver is on the road so that you avoid getting in their path

Difficulty staying in their lane

One of the ways to spot a drunk driver is when they find it hard to stay in their lane. You will notice that they keep changing lanes because they are confused about which one to maintain. This act might distract other drivers and road users.

Not maintaining traffic rules

Another way to know that a driver is under the influence of alcohol is when they consistently break traffic laws.

Some of them might be oblivious to when the red signs show up which is an indication for them to apply their brakes and wait for it to turn green. Similarly, they might drive on the wrong side of the road, or even exceed the speed limit.

Tailgating

Tailgating occurs when a driver follows closely behind another vehicle, without giving enough distance to stop. Hence, when the vehicle in front stops abruptly, a collision is likely to occur. Drunk drivers are likely to tailgate because they are not in their perfect mind when they are behind the wheel.

Poor judgments

Drivers under the influence of alcohol are more likely to make the wrong decisions on the road. For instance, they might speed when they are not supposed to. They might even forget to honk or apply their brakes when needed.

 

If you know someone who might be under the influence of alcohol, it is best to assist them in getting help. Many drivers might be struggling with alcohol addiction, but they don’t know how to break free. You can help someone you know to get registered in a reputable rehab.

 

 

Four consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol

Most vehicle accidents usually come from lack of concentration, carelessness, and indecision. All these are unfortunate circumstances that come with alcohol drinking. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) carried out an analysis on road crashes and found that an average of one death per 50 minutes occurs due to alcohol-related car collisions.

Statistics have shown that people who drink are at risk of causing fatal accidents. Different countries and states have rules concerning drinking while driving, and most states do not allow it. Asides from causing accidents, there are other consequences of drinking while driving.

 

Some significant consequences that can occur while driving under the influence of alcohol are:

1. Impaired driving: Alcohol impairs a person’s ability to drive by slowing thinking, reflexes, and vision. Alcohol consumption slows reaction time, especially when the situation requires the vehicle to be stopped abruptly. When drivers are drunk, it becomes very hard for them to control the wheels and make the right decisions while driving.

It often leads to the loss of lives and properties of innocent people. Consequently, even if the person survives the crash, the state could take legal actions against the person.

 

2. Legal consequences: Record has it that over 10,000 people die yearly due to alcohol-induced accidents. However, asides from the possibility of an accident, there are legal consequences of driving while drunk. If a person is caught with a blood-alcohol concentration level that is higher than 0.08% while driving, the following are legal consequences that could follow:

• Loss of driver’s license
• Vehicle impoundment
• Court-ordered rehabilitation and alcohol treatment
• Court-ordered withdrawal from children and loved ones
• Jail time

If the person’s conviction is an accidental crash that claimed lives and properties of people due to the influence of alcohol, the consequences will be a lot more grievous. The outgrowths might include loss of the following:

• Voting right
• Right to own a firearm
• Parental right
• Professional license
• Passport
• Financial aid for schooling
• Employment in elite fields
• Public housing benefits

Four health tips for drivers to imbibe

Maintaining good hygiene is essential for everybody. Drivers are known for meeting new people, having hectic work schedules, and stressful long drives. This makes it hard for some of them to stay healthy and maintain proper hygiene.

Transportation is an essential sector for every economy, and a big catch in this sector is road transport, where road drivers function. Therefore, the relevance of drivers in an economy should not be undermined. Most drivers get to do some things that demine their physical and mental health to cope with the complexities of their work.

Drivers have bad dieting, lack adequate rest time, engage in self-medication, and avoid exercise. Some even take addictive substances like cocaine, heroin, alcohol, and stimulants to stay woke and active on their job. All these are just a few of the unhealthy ways of drivers.

To stay healthy as a driver, you must pay attention to the following essential health tips;

• Healthy diet: By healthy diet, we mean healthy meals, drinks, and snacks. Excessive eating is prevalent among drivers but does not count for healthy eating. Eating healthily during a stress-filled day takes a lot of planning and conscious effort.

Drivers should get their diet planned by a dietician and ensure they try preparing some of their meals at home before going out to work or after work at night. Avoid roadside meals and reduce excessive snacks intake. Drivers should also take enough carbs and protein to harness energy to pull through the day and aid tissue repair.

• Avoid self-medication:Drivers are used to self-medicating and taking drugs abusively. These only give rise to various risk factors like impaired judgment, mental illness, physical health issues, and road accidents. Drivers should find time to visit health practitioners to discuss their health issues.
• Get adequate rest: Not getting enough rest could lead to sleeping while driving, which could ultimately lead to an accident. Drivers often found a way around getting rest by using stimulants to stay woke. However, that has not proven to be as effective as having a good night’s sleep.
• Engage in regular exercise: Regular exercise reduces the risks of cardiac disorders, increases irritability, and improves endurance time. Drivers who get enough exercise get to be more mentally and physically alert in their jobs.

EFFECT OF ALCOHOL ABUSE ON DRIVERS IN THE LONG TERM

It is a known saying that too much of anything is not good, and on this, alcohol intake is no exception. Drinking too much alcohol frequently is harmful to your health and, it is sad to say that alcohol abuse has become a growing issue in societies today with no exclusion to drivers.

Abuse of alcohol is the excessive intake of alcohol, and drivers who abuse alcohol will experience some of its effects in their body system, and worse ones when it is long term.

As a driver, long-term abuse of alcohol can damage your frontal lobe, which is the area of the brain that is responsible for judgments and short-term memory.

This part of the brain is of great importance to you because drivers are to have sound judgments, knowing fully well that driving involves calculations and instant decision-making. Thus, if your frontal lobe is damaged, you are at a high chance of breaking traffic regulations, exposing yourself to arrests, or worse, accidents.

Also, long-term alcohol consumption may lead to alcoholism whereby you become physically and emotionally dependent on alcohol. It has a high chance of reducing your productivity level, damaging your relationships with people, and exposing you to developing many chronic diseases and health problems. Some examples are liver disease, pancreatitis, cancer, brain damage, to mention a few.

Furthermore, long-term abuse of alcohol exposes you to the risk of suffering damages in your digestive system.

For example, the tissues in your digestive tract could be damaged by alcohol and cause malnutrition. It could also lead to ulcers or hemorrhoids which may cause dangerous internal bleeding or in the condition of ulcers, be fatal and cause death if not treated early.

Alcohol also impairs communication between your brain and your body which makes coordination, a necessary skill in driving, difficult for you. It exposes you to damage to yourself, another individual, or properties.

 

FOUR REASONS WHY DRIVERS NEED TO AVOID ALCOHOL WHILE DRIVING

Alcohol is a risk factor in several traffic accidents all around the world. Research has proved that many drivers are unaware of the risks involved in driving under the influence because they don’t suffer traffic accidents when they drink and drive.

Sadly, this is not the case because research has shown that an estimated 32% of fatal car crashes involve an intoxicated driver or pedestrian.

Your blood alcohol content level can affect your driving hence, once a person is caught driving with a blood alcohol content level of 0.08 or more, he is guilty of the crime of driving under the influence in some countries, the USA for example.

Driving is not as straightforward as it may seem because it requires concentration, coordination, the need to react quickly, and processing information fast.

These requirements are skills often impaired by alcohol which forms the foundation of the reasons why drivers need to avoid alcohol while driving. Below are four of these reasons:

1. Slow response and reduced coordination: Alcohol slows your response time leading to difficulty in controlling a sudden situation because you may realize it late. It could also be that upon realization, your brain and body coordination in maneuvering the vehicle may be slow.
2. Impaired vision: Alcohol causes blurred vision and it can impair peripheral vision, making things that are close seem like they are far and vice versa. It can cause miscalculations as it is the danger you see that you can avoid.
3. Poor judgment: Driving under the influence affects your ability to make rational decisions. The alcohol may make you take unnecessary risks, breaking road rules.
4. Grievous consequences: Driving under the influence can lead to accidents, loss or damage of lives and properties, no insurance in case of an accident, and a high insurance premium if you get arrested.

To avoid driving under the influence, you can have an alternative driver to return you home when you are on a drinking spree, or in the absence of one, call a taxi.

 

Tips to Avoid Impaired Driving

As we see in the news so often, impaired driving is a leading cause of road accidents and death in North America. Knowing and following simple steps of prevention is the best way to avoid unnecessary heartache and pain.

What is impaired driving?

Impaired driving involves anything that prevents a person from having complete awareness of the road and surroundings while driving. The common form of impaired driving is when someone drives when drunk or while high due to drugs. This poses a danger to the driver as well as everybody else on the road. These impaired drivers get charged with driving under the influence or DUI for short.

Impaired driving means driving or operating any vehicle (this includes cars, trucks, snowmobiles, and boats) while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The consequences are serious, and it is a crime under the Criminal Code of Canada.

Understand the effects of drugs and alcohol

Knowledge is power. Find out from your doctor or pharmacist or read online to learn about the side effects related to driving when using prescription medication.

Read the details on the package of any prescription drugs or over-the-counter medicine, including allergy and cold medications.

Keep in mind that fatigue and stress can affect your ability to drive safely.

The best way to avoid the consequences of DUI is to make simple arrangements that keep you from driving while you consumed alcohol or drugs:

Take responsibility

Even before you go out, decide who will be the driver by choosing a designated driver. Ensure that person doesn’t drink any alcoholic beverages.

If nobody in your group is sober, call a taxi.

If needed, take the keys from the person who is drunk.

When Throwing a Party

Serve plenty of healthy food. A stomach that is full is likely to slow the rate of alcohol absorption.

Offer non-alcoholic beverages. Water, juice, soda pop – give your guests plenty of alternatives. And never pressure guests to drink alcohol.

Stop serving alcohol well before the party ends. Give your guests an extra hour or two without alcohol before they head out the door.

Arrange alternate transportation. Pay attention to your guests’ alcohol intake and behavior. If someone has had a lot to drink or seems even the slightest bit tipsy, call a cab or set up a ride with a sober driver.

Understand the massive implications of these actions

You could:

• Lose your license
• Have your vehicle impounded
• Need to attend an education or treatment program
• Be fined upon conviction
• Spend time in jail

While the hazards of drunk driving are all over the media, it has not prevented all drivers from driving while intoxicated. Understanding and following the rules is the best way to prevent avoidable tragedies.

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol: Consequences and Effects

Drinking and driving is likely to lead to devastating and far-reaching impacts for you, your family, and anyone who happens to be on the road with you.

Unfortunately, despite public awareness campaigns, warnings, and stiff penalties for violations, people will still get behind the wheel of their vehicles while intoxicated.

The consequences of driving under the influence may include fines, demerit points, loss of license, and jail time. The best way to avoid this is to understand the serious consequences of drinking and driving, as well as how you can keep yourself out of circumstances of violating the law.

The Effects of alcohol on driving

Driving involves focus, attention to detail, and coordination. For safe driving on the roads, the driver is expected to consider many unknown factors that need a quick response and split-second decisions. Alcohol in the body, when it exceeds a certain level, is known to impact this decision-making capacity that is possible when there is no influence of alcohol in the system.

The effects of alcohol that could lead to dangerous consequences include:

• A false sense of security and control
• Difficulty concentrating
• Increased risk-taking
• Difficulty maintaining a constant speed
• Slower reaction times
• Poor coordination
• Sudden movements
• Drowsiness

Legal Consequences of Drinking and Driving:

Taking the example of Ontario, Canada, here are some answered by https://torontodui.com/ to frequently asked questions:

Do you go to jail for drunk driving?

First-time offenders usually receive only a fine. However, repeat offenders can receive jail time.

How much jail time do you get for drinking and driving?

In Ontario, second-time offenders can receive 30 days in jail, while third-time offenders can receive 120 days in prison for drinking and driving.

What is the limit for drunk driving?

Ontario drivers are considered over the allowed limit if they exceed 80 mg of alcohol in 100 mL of blood. This makes them liable to get a drunk driving charge.

What happens the first time someone gets a DUI?

A first-time DUI offense in Ontario carries a fine of up to $1,000 and may cause you to lose your license for up to 30 days.

Can I drink a pint and drive?

Generally, people can drink one pint of beer and not go over the 80 limit. However, it is important to know that those who weigh less than normal may still go over 80 after one pint.

What happens if you get caught drunk driving?

The arresting officer can bring you to the police station to undergo a pair of breathalyzer tests. If you test positive, you will face charges from there.

It is important to know that just because a person can function well after drinking doesn’t mean that they are not at risk of showing high levels of alcohol in their system when tested.

REASONS WHY DRIVERS NEED TO STICK TO DRIVING RULES

Everyone would love to own a vehicle which they drive at their convenience. However, not everyone is willing to stick to the rules of driving. Some people think these rules are too stringent, and following these rules is not suitable for them. What are driving rules? They are basically set of rules which a driver is meant to stick to while driving.

These rules are what defines him to either be a good or a bad driver. Driving rules are not set based on hearsays, they were set by driving regulatory bodies of a state or a country. The major goal of these driving rules, is to make sure that all lives on the road are secured.

One major driving rule which is common across all states and countries in the world, is the prohibition of all drivers to stay away from alcohol and other drug-related substances which can affect the brain performance of a driver.

When a driver is hooked on alcohol and other hard drugs, it becomes difficult for the driver to concentrate fully on the wheels and the road. As a matter of fact, the driver finds it hard to comprehend and interpret things as he would, if he was not under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

The lives of passers-by and other drivers on the road are at risk because the driver who has taken alcohol or drugs, before taking to the wheels, is not in the best state of mind.

If drivers could pay heed to this specific aspect of driving rules, we would have fewer cases of accidents on the road. This is because, everyone on the road would be sane and mentally stable.

In addition, you are also protecting your vehicle by sticking to driving rules. There are some road accidents which can make your vehicle a total write-off, thus compelling you to buy another vehicle. Driving rules are essential because, they ensure that the society is rid of deaths and severe injuries caused by fatal or ghastly accidents.