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How alcohol affects a motorist’s ability to drive

On Behalf of | Nov 30, 2018 | DWI |

While most of us are aware that driving while intoxicated (DWI) is dangerous, many of us don’t understand how much consuming alcohol can impact our ability to safely maneuver our vehicles out on the road.

Those individuals who suffer from alcohol use disorder or who binge drink are most apt to get behind the wheel while intoxicated as they tend to consume a significant number of drinks within a short time frame.

They, like many of us, don’t realize that it can take as long as 30 minutes for their drinks to fully enter their bloodstream. They tend to only find out just how impaired their motor skills are once they’re already out on the road.

One of the ways that alcohol impairs a motorist’s driving is that it causes them to be unable to concentrate. This can impact their ability to regulate their own speed, adhere to traffic signals or stay in their own lane. It reduces the length of a driver’s attention span as well.

A person’s consumption of alcohol also impacts their vision. It can cause them to have difficulty controlling their eye movements or cause things to appear blurry. Both of these can impact how much of a distance a motorist is able to keep between them and other drivers on the road.

Motorists who drink and drive also tend to lack foot, hand and eye coordination and experience slower-than-normal reaction times. This all can impact their ability to make quick decisions that can help them avoid a crash.

Individuals who suffer from alcoholism often continue drinking and driving because they don’t realize that there are places out there that can help them overcome their addiction. They often don’t find this out until after they’ve been arrested for having been involved in a serious traffic accident. In such cases, it’s imperative that you’re represented by a Mahopac DWI attorney who can provide proven criminal defense at trial for these types of offenses.

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