Operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol is a serious offense regardless of where you are. In fact, CDC reports that nearly a third of all traffic-related deaths are caused by intoxicated drivers.

Injuries resulting from drunk driving accidents can be life-altering. And even though most people fully understand the consequences of a DUI conviction, they still end up driving while drunk.

So How Does Alcohol Affect The Driver’s Ability To Control The Vehicle?

Alcohol impairs the motorist’s driving ability in a number of ways. Here are some of them:

• Reduced reaction times that make it difficult for the driver to respond promptly to an emergency
• Reduced vision due to slowed eye muscle movements, impaired visual perception, blurred vision that becomes increasingly impaired when driving at night or distorted perception of traffic signs
• Impaired ability to track moving objects like other cars on the road. This makes it quite difficult for intoxicated motorists to discern and maintain a safe distance from the car ahead, maintain lanes or pay attention to traffic signs.
• Reduced ability to focus on the road and focus on moving objects, including other vehicles and pedestrians

Intoxicated motorists are likely to cause these types of road accidents:

• Head-on collisions: Intoxicated motorists are likely to become drowsy while driving. As a result, they are likely to veer off their lane onto oncoming traffic. Head-on collisions also happen at construction sites when intoxicated drivers are unable to spot and respond to detour signs.
• Pedestrian accidents:  An intoxicated driver will typically experience impaired vision and delayed response time, especially at night. As a result, they are more likely to fail to yield way to a pedestrian at the crosswalk, which can lead to fatal accidents.

Alcohol consumption is a significant factor in traffic accidents, and crashes that involve intoxicated motorists are more likely to result in life-altering injuries. If you or someone you love has sustained injuries in a car accident, you are entitled to personal injury claims for your damages.