Drunk driving remains an ever pressing issue when it comes to traffic concerns, and sometimes it gets hard to get more and more people to be aware of the risks of drunk driving due to the prevalence of these cases. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, various risk factors are involved in drunk driving accidents, and much of them are closely tied with the effects of alcohol in the body that can gravely affect one’s driving. .
Unfortunately, despite the commonality of these cases, the deaths attached to these accidents remain large as well. This is because 10,265 fatalities were actually caused by driving accidents. This accounts for almost 29-percent of all deaths related to traffic in the United States.
This makes the threat of drunk driving ever present in today’s society. Read on to know more about the reasons why you should avoid drunk driving for your safety and the rest of other traffic users:
- There will be legal penalties. One of the most obvious reasons of avoiding drunk driving is the legal penalties that are involved when you are caught, and these are different from state to state. Regardless, if you’re caught driving with a 0.08 percent blood alcohol concentration or BAC, then there are bound to be consequences. Aside from this are zero-tolerance policies that make it illegal for young people below 21 to be caught with any BAC higher than 0. In some states, your driver’s license may also be suspended if you’re caught drunk driving. Harsher penalties are involved if there’s a crash that happens when you drive while intoxicated.
- There will be effects to your body that aren’t fit for driving. Remember that drunk driving will make it harder for you to drive because alcohol is inherently capable of making your senses and other body functions impaired. This means your motor skills can be potentially impaired, alongside your reaction time and judgment. The three of these, when affected by alcohol will greatly diminish your driving skills and put you in a lot of danger.
- There are constant risks of subjecting yourself to injuries and even death. Remember that drunk driving is illegal not because it wants to be a “killjoy,” but rather because it can actually kill people. When you are given a license to drive, you are under obligation to keep yourself and other people on the road safe with your vehicle. As such, it’s important to make sure you are adequately equipped to protect yourself from crashes. According to the World Health Organization, more than 1.25 million fatalities are caused by road traffic crashes, with an additional estimate of 20 to 50 million people being injured as a result. Drunk driving, as stated above, comprise a huge portion of these numbers.
Conclusion
Remember, however, that when it comes to drunk driving, the regulations and rules are strict precisely because you’re not the only road user out there. You have an obligation to make sure your vehicle, which you obtained the right to drive, will keep everyone safe. This means you have a responsibility to make sure the road is safe for you, your passengers, other drivers, and other pedestrians. Click here if you need a lawyer to explain some specifics you might be wondering about in terms of this subject.
