Blog

EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ADDICTION ON DRIVING

Driving is a serious business, and it involves a great deal of care so that lives would be preserved. Some people are often in the habit of taking alcohol before they drive. To make it worse, people who are addicted to alcohol present the greatest risks to life, as some of them can even take alcohol during the course of driving.

Alcohol addiction is an obsessive disorder, which has the capacity to mess with the normal way of life of an individual. Some people need the frequent intake of alcohol to be normal, this shows to an extent the abnormality which alcohol addiction presents.

It is expected that someone who is addicted to alcohol, will have a slower reaction time, than someone who is not addicted. The driver will be unable to respond promptly to various situations. It reduces the response time of the driver, which can in turn lead to an accident.

For instance, if a small child or an animal runs across the road where there is a drunk driver, there is a possibility that the driver would find it hard to react swiftly, because the brain will take a longer time to access the situation and avert the accident.

In addition, the motor skills of a driver are impaired. The motor skills involve the foot, eye, and hand coordination. When these parts are unable to synchronize properly, the driver could have an impending danger on his hands. Hence, to avoid this, the intake of alcohol needs to be reduced. As a matter of fact, the excessive intake of alcohol can make a driver find it hard to start his car.

Closely related to this, is the inability of the driver to concentrate properly. Alcohol is a powerful substance, and a very minute quantity has the capacity to affect the concentration of an individual. When driving, proper concentration is an asset which no driver must miss, and the absence of this increases the likelihood of an accident.

Drivers are advised to avoid alcohol at all cost, to ensure that the lives on the road are safe. If there is a decline in alcohol addiction among the drivers on the road, there would be fewer cases of road accidents.

POSITIVE HABITS FOR A DRIVER

For a driver to be regarded as being good, it does not only boil down to his driving skills, it also involves the level of safety in his driving. It is easy to inculcate bad habits while driving, and a good number of them are detrimental.

Below are positive habits which are expected of a driver:

• Keep away from your phone: One habit which drivers are fond of, is using their phones while driving. Some are in the habit of making calls, chatting with their phone during the course of driving. Hence, it would be difficult to perform a swift action if need be.

• Maintain the speed limit: One of the major causes of accidents, is drivers who fail to maintain the moderate speed limit. Over-speeding kills people year in, year out. In some countries, drivers are fined for exceeding the expected speed limit.

• Avoid alcohol before driving: There are many dangers when it comes to drinking and driving. It prevents the driver from thinking straight and making prompt decisions.

For instance, if a child happens to cross the road right in front of a drunk driver, it would be difficult for the driver to quickly apply the brakes. Hence, a life could be lost in the process. Alcohol prevents you from being alert and aware, no matter how minute the quantity of alcohol taken, there is still an effect which it has on the brain and mind.

• Using Seatbelt: For some people, using the seatbelt seems like a burden and waste of time. It is essential for both the driver and passenger to have their seatbelts on, as it is one of the easiest ways to save their lives. As a good driver, you need to make sure your seatbelts are on, and you must enforce the same rule on anyone who journeys with you.

• Avoid playing loud music: Loud music is another form of distraction when driving, it also prevents you from being aware, alert and informed. It makes it difficult for you to respond to sudden occurrences which could have simply been avoided.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO DRIVE WITH A GOOD MENTAL HEALTH

Driving is not a regular activity which can be performed by paying little attention, it is a very skilled and complex activity which needs the application of high cortical functions. An individual who is driving a vehicle needs to be able to clearly judge and give quick reactions when it is needed. The inability to do this could cause risks to the person driving, or users of the road.

Mental disorders have the capacity to inhibit good judgement, concentration and also reaction times. Studies have shown that, in road accidents, the percentage of those caused by people with mental illness, is higher than those caused by people who do not have mental illness.

For instance, someone who undergoes bouts of depression from time to time, should be declared unfit for driving, as there is a huge tendency that the person would not be able to make the right decisions. The hands of the person might just be on the wheels, and his eyes faced forward, but his mind might not be there.

Hence, if there is a sudden need to apply the brakes, it would be difficult to do this, as his mind has been carried away. Children and young teenagers are at a high risk on a road containing drivers who are not in their right state of mind. These set of people find it difficult to concentrate properly on the road, and they cannot entirely be blamed for this.

It is essential in a developed country, that before drivers are given their license, there has to be a proof certifying a clean bill of mental health. Until this has been verified, it is advisable not to handover a license to any regular person. Putting this measure in check would ensure that, the number of accidents caused due to mental health illness, would be on the decline.

In addition to this, it would be highly beneficial if there is a check on these drivers from time to time. Mental health illness can develop at any time, and once it has been detected quite early, it makes it easy to manage.

THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL

When it comes to drinking and driving, it happens on a regular basis, and the sad part is, people are not aware of the danger which is behind it. When they get home or perhaps, any destination safely, it looks as if they have gotten away with it.

Driving under the influence of alcohol is not a good decision to make, because you are not only putting your life at risk, you are also endangering the lives of others who are on the road. In most countries, it is illegal to drive after taking alcohol, and even though you can control yourself, it is still not safe at all.

First and foremost, driving under the influence of alcohol affects your judgement and compels you to make bad decisions, which are most times, life-threatening. After making such decisions, you would get to discover the next day, but it would have been too late. When there is no sound judgement, you are bound to be distracted when driving, and something hazardous could happen.

In addition to this, driving after taking alcohol causes slowed reaction time, and it inhibits coordination. Basically, you will not be able to respond promptly, thereby the chances of being involved in an accident. For example, during times when you need to stop quickly, if someone runs in front of your vehicle, you might not be able to react quickly, and there are chances that you would hit them eventually.

Furthermore, when driving under the influence of alcohol, you might not be able to see clearly, and this is very important. Having a good vision when driving, prevents possible accidents, and alcohol certainly inhibits this. Your vision could get blurred, and your eyes could move on their own.

Studies have shown and proven that, those who drive when they are intoxicated, are likely to cause an accident than individuals who are sober when driving. In most countries, there are penalties for those who are caught driving under the influence of alcohol, and it could get more severe if there is an accident, and a life is lost in the process.

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL

It is a serious offence to get behind the wheel of your car, after taking alcohol. This act is known as Drinking and Driving. In some cases, it is referred to as Drinking under the influence of alcohol or driving while intoxicated.

This act basically involves driving while having a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent. Irrespective of this however, having a little percentage of alcohol in your system, has the capacity to cause hazardous situations. When you see some drivers, you might not quickly realize that they are under the influence of alcohol, it does not still undermine the fact that, it is very risky to drink and drive.

Certainly, the group of people who are at the highest risk when it comes to this social vice, are those who are down with alcohol addiction. These set of people find it hard to control themselves, and they do not really care about the consequences. The amount of alcohol which they consume in a short amount of time is much, and this causes huge side effects which are usually unpleasant.

Those who are addicted to alcohol, are advised not to stay behind the wheel every time, as they constitute a potential source of danger to people around. Having alcohol in your body can greatly impair your ability to drive properly. The effects which it comes with, are at various degrees, and it places you at risk, as an accident or injury could occur in the process.

Driving when sober is safe, and you can be sure that there is no danger in sight. You would be able to make sound judgments, and also respond very fast to situations. However, the presence of alcohol tends to threaten these possibilities.

Having alcohol in your body makes you slower than usual, you will not be able to react fast to any kind of situation. This definitely increases the chances of an accident occurring.

It would be also extremely difficult for your motor skills to work properly, and it would make it difficult to avert an accident in the process. It is necessary that people who want to take to the road, should ensure that they have nothing to do with alcohol.

Why You Need To Take Care of Your DWI ASAP

You’ve done the unthinkable: You got behind the wheel after having too many drinks.
And then the unthinkable happens: A cop sees you, pulls you over and charges you
with a DWI. Your car is towed, your license gets taken and now you have to deal with
fines, paperwork and the whole issue of how you’re supposed to get back and forth to
work with no license.

Now what do you do?

It may seem like a good idea to put this off because getting a DWI is not exactly one of
your proudest moments, but the truth is, it is best to do what you need to do in order to
clear your record, take care of your DWI, and get your license back as soon as
possible. Here’s why:

1. Driving Without A License Is Illegal
With most DWI charges, your license will be revoked for a period of time. In the state of
North Carolina, it is illegal to drive with no driver’s license. This means you’ll need to
find other transportation for running errands and getting to and from work. And if you
have to take a taxi or public transportation, those costs can add up.

2. If You Complete an Assessment, You May Qualify To Get Your
License Back Sooner
Depending on how bad your case is – whether this is your second or third offense, or
how far your blood alcohol content was over the limit (.08) – you may qualify to get
limited driving privilege after just 10 days of the DWI charge provided you complete a
DWI assessment. Your attorney can help you determine if you meet these
qualifications, however, it is safe to say that the sooner you get your assessment
completed the sooner you have the opportunity to get your driving privileges reinstated.

3. Missing Classes Will Cost You More Money
Have you been ordered to take ADETS or substance abuse treatment classes? Did you
know if you do not begin your classes within 6 months of your assessment, you will
have to pay another fee to start the process all over again? We have seen several
people wish they had just made the time to take care of their DWI in the beginning. Now
they have to pay more money in fees and their insurance rates are through the roof.
Don’t let this happen to you.

These are just a few issues that can make a simple DWI issue turn into something more
costly in the long run. These are also reasons you don’t want to wait to schedule your
DWI assessment and classes so you can get them done – sooner, not later.