Drink Driving: A Major Cause of Road Accident

One needs not to be drunk to be affected by alcohol. You might feel normal but no one drives well after drinking alcohol. Drink driving is a factor in about one in every five crashes in which someone loses their life.

The effects of alcohol are wide ranging and impossible to avoid. After a big night out you still have alcohol in your system. For much of the next day. Alcohol is a depressant.

Mixing alcohol with energy drinks is dangerous. Alcohol is a depressant and caffeine in energy drinks is stimulant – mix them too much and your body can not lope.

Energy drinks can mask the effects of alcohol, as the caffeine makes you feel more alert. You may be drunk without knowing it. Your blood alcohol concentration does not change if you drink energy drinks, even though you may feel like its lower.

Never drive if you have had alcohol mixed with an energy drink. Try to plan ahead and us other ways of getting home safely.

We all must note that, it is illegal for you to drink alcohol while you are driving, even if your blood alcohol concentration stays below your legal limit.

Walking home is a better choice than driving, if you have been drinking.

Effect of drink driving

Drivers use their hands, eyes and feet to control the car; but their hands, eyes and feet must be controlled by their brains. Safe driving requires alertness and the ability to make quick decisions in rapidly changing situations. Drinking alcohol can have a profound effect on driving skills.

Slow reaction time: When alcohol is in one’s system, it affects how quickly you are able to respond to different situations. Drinking slows your response time, which can increase the likelihood of an accident. If the car in front of you brakes suddenly or a pedestrian crosses the street, it will take longer for your brain to process the situation and prevent an accident.
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Reduce concentration: Alcohol can influence your concentration no matter how much or little you take. Staying in one’s lane, your speed, other cars on the road and traffic signals are some of the many things that require your concentration when driving. Your attentions span can be reduced with drinking which will increase the chance of an accident.
Decrease vision: Alcohol consumption can negatively impact your vision. After drinking, you may notice that your vision is blurred or that you are unable to control your eye movement. Impaired vision can affect how you judge the distance between your car and other vehicles.
Coordination: Reduced eye, hand and foot coordination can be caused by drinking too much alcohol.