How Alcohol Intoxication Impairs Drivers
It is well documented that driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence of controlled substances is incredibly dangerous. What many individuals do not realized is exactly how alcohol intoxication effects not only the mental faculties but also the physical capabilities of drivers. The legal limit for New Jersey DWI is a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or higher. However, it has been estimated that even concentrations as low as 0.05 percent have a material impact on driver ability.
Today, our drunk driving personal injury attorneys will be discussing exactly how alcohol can impair the physical and mental performance of drivers and some alarming statistics regarding drinking and driving in the U.S.
Passaic County, NJ Driving While Intoxicated Victims’ Lawyers Discuss Impact of Alcohol on Driving Performance
Not only is drunk driving illegal in New Jersey, but it is also extremely dangerous. Driving involves hundreds of split second decisions and complete control of our full bodies to perform safely. Your Passaic County driving while intoxicated victim’s lawyers can use another driver’s blood alcohol content as proof of their negligence within a personal injury claim. This is partially due to the fact that driving drunk can impact all of the following:
Reaction Time – inebriation can dramatically reduce driver’s ability to react to stimuli. When driving, this can quickly lead to a dangerous and even deadly situation.
Coordination – alcohol also impacts the signals the brain sends to the rest of the body, leading to issues with coordination.
Decision Making – safe driving requires assessing situation and make appropriate decisions. Decision making is one of the primary areas impacted by alcohol.
Vision – dizziness, blurred vision, and poor vision in low light all may occur after low levels of intoxication.
Much more – inability to track moving objects, an inability to concentrate, the possibility of passing out or vomiting are all additional considerations.
Wayne Drunk Driver Accident Attorneys Identify Crash Statistics Involving Alcohol Impairment
Now that we have discussed the ways in which alcohol can impact the mental and physical capabilities of drivers, what does that mean in the real world? Unfortunately, as most individuals are aware, it has led to a situation where drunk driving kills thousands and even tens of thousands of fatalities each year. The silver lining is that these numbers have gone down, from 13,582 in 2005 to 9,967 in 2014. Here are some additional sobering statistics about drunk driving in America:
- It has been estimated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that drunk driving has an annual economic cost of approximately $44 billion in lost production, medical expenses, property damage and more
- Twenty (20) percent of motor vehicle child fatalities in 2014 involved alcohol impaired accidents
- An alcohol related motor vehicle fatality occurs more than once per hour in the U.S. alone
- 21-24 year olds are at the highest risk of alcohol impaired fatalities, at a rate of approximately 30 percent compared to all fatal motor vehicle accidents
- Amongst drivers involved in fatal crashes, drivers are more than four (4) times as likely to be alcohol impaired at night vs. during the day
- Approximately 70 percent of fatal motor vehicle accidents involved at least one driver who had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.15 percent or higher
Contact our Clifton Drunk Driving Accident Personal Injury Attorneys Today
At The Law Offices of Fredson & Statmore, our drunk driving accident personal injury attorneys have over 50 years of combined legal experience helping clients recover full and fair compensation for their injuries caused by drunk drivers. We take pride serving clients from local Passaic County communities including Clifton, Paterson, Wayne, West Milford, Woodland Park, Little Falls, and across all of Northern New Jersey. Our legal team boasts several members nominated to the Super Lawyers list pertaining to personal injury law. Find out why our clients have recommended us to friends and family in need.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, motorcycle accident, truck accident, pedestrian accident, or any other accident caused by a drunk driver, please contact us online or through our Clifton offices today for a free and confidential consultation with a member of our experienced and qualified legal staff.
