by April Sears
Having a party can be a great way to unwind, and social events like these normally have alcohol to add "spice" to the circumstances. These gatherings are normally fun and can last the entire night, but there are particular effects that alcohol has on the body and to the mind that one should consider before taking a car to a drinking event and before deciding to actually drive after drinking. Knowing what happens in the mind when you're intoxicated while driving can help you a great deal in understanding the full extent of the dangers alcohol may pose.
Do remember however that these tips are best followed with the advice of a doctor or a physician, as a person can have different responses to alcohol. As such, its effects on the mind can differ in vastly different ways. This makes it all the more important for you to have a more accurate assessment of just how your body responds to alcohol, and how the smallest of shots can affect your overall driving performance.
According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, or the NCADD, around two in three people might be involved in a driving crash throughout their entire life. Unfortunately, it's estimated that around 32 percent of car crashes that lead to fatalities normally involve pedestrians or intoxicated drivers. Car crashes are also the leading cause of death among minors, and 25 percent of those cases involve underage drinkers.
Alcohol, Drugs, Driving: A Bad Mix
When considering the impact of alcohol on the mind while driving, it's also best to talk about how alcohol, drugs, and driving interact with one another. The three are closely intertwined when it comes to car crashes, and it might be helpful to explore alcohol use and driving when even the factor of drugs come to mind.
● This is because alcohol is by nature a depressant. It can affect coordination, judgment time, vision, and reaction time due to its nature.
● The "high" from alcohol is different when mixed with other substances that can affect attention span, muscle strength, reaction time, depth perception, and concentration.
● In the same token, stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine increase aggressiveness and hostility, which can make you a more aggressive and erratic driver, especially when mixed with alcohol consumption.
● Mixing these substances can sometimes make their effects stronger, and the effects barely leave any opportunity for the driver to focus on the task of actually driving to their destination.
The experts from hlgny.com explain, if you happen to be under the influence of any substance, the charges could quickly transition to the criminal offense.
Alcohol, Driving: Impact On The Mind
When alcohol and driving are mixed together, the mind is in for a rough time. This is because alcohol conditions the mind to "relax" due to its nature as a depressant. It slows down some of the body's functions the moment it enters the bloodstream, and most of those actions are needed to coordinate in driving a car.
● Slower brain functions can in fact impair reaction time, which can put you in dangerous situations when it comes to driving. This is because the reaction speed you need to react towards other unruly cars, pedestrians, and traffic light changes might not be fast enough.
● Impaired judgment also means there's a high chance you can be incapable of judging the kind of pacing or speed you have. Impaired depth perception can also make you confused when it comes to assessing distance of people, objects, and cars.
● A false sense of confidence is usually granted to drivers while intoxicated, which can make them overestimate their skills in driving.
The things above at first glance seem circumstantial, or things that you can "avoid" if you've achieved the so called "alcohol tolerance" level that is for you. This is not exactly a reliable belief, as there's no guarantee that there's even a way to achieve total "alcohol tolerance" that allows you to miss any chance of messing up as a driver.
● Driving is inherently a task that requires focus as you are doing a lot of things at once. This is also why tasks such as combing hair, shaving, or even diverting your eyes away from the road can be causes of big accidents. It is important to remember that there are traffic rules because drivers have a lot of obligations to make sure roads are safe for passengers and pedestrians. Likewise, passengers and pedestrians are also obligated to follow traffic laws.
● Part of being negligent in these responsibilities is when you drive under the influence or driving while intoxicated, and as such this is also why there are a lot of penalties for the situation. It might be a practical idea to communicate with a legal professional such as those here in order to have a better understanding on the intricacies of driving under the influence.
Conclusion
Driving while intoxicated is categorized as either a felony or a misdemeanor depending on your state. These legal categorizations weren’t decided arbitrarily, as if you look at what happens in the mind when you're intoxicated while driving, there are particular risks that involve you and the people around you if you do decide to do that act. Therefore, it might be important to understand just what happens to your brain while drinking and driving, so you could have a better understanding as to why traffic laws are strict about these circumstances.
April Sears
April Sears has been a law writer for more than two decades, and she is currently working on her next piece. She also writes pieces on law topics for the common reader. April is family woman, and she loves spending her free time with her family.