New Years Accidents
A lot of people seem to have somewhat of a blind spot when it comes to personal behavior. You would be surprised at the number of folks who will read about a drunk driving accident, mutter “these people ought to know better” under their breath, and then go out and drive after having a few drinks.
There is a real sense of “it won’t happen to me” among people who drive after they drink. It’s a sense of invincibility that they keep right up until the point where they get arrested, or worse. We know this because we often find ourselves representing the victims of drunk drivers, who always seem to have thought that only other people are dangerous when they get behind the wheel.
A lot of this might have to do with the fact that alcohol lowers inhibitions, which makes those who drink a lot more confident in their abilities than they normally would be. Or it might have something to do with the myths that surround alcohol use. There are still people who believe that there is a way to instantly make a person “not drunk,” or that one form of alcohol is somehow less potent than another.
You have three choices on New Year’s Eve: Don’t drink at all, take a cab, or ride with someone who doesn’t drink. Getting behind the wheel after taking even one drink can lower your reflexes and dull your reaction time. In fact, impairment begins after just one serving of alcohol. According to the Department of Health and Human Services:
“At low doses the effects of alcohol may include alterations in mood, cognition, anxiety level, and motor performance. It may also impair performance several hours after the blood alcohol level has gone down. Even slightly elevated levels result in more fatal accidents, and the majority of individuals who experience a problem related to alcohol use are light and moderate drinkers.”
This means that “only having a couple” or “just having one” is enough to adversely affect your ability to drive. And there is no magical way to make you sober, despite what some of the old wives tales might say:
“If I drink a few cups of coffee, I should be fine to drive.”
Caffeine has no dampening effect on how your brain and body reacts towards alcohol. The coffee might make you jittery and wide awake, but it won’t make you less drunk.
“I’ve just been drinking beer. What’s the big deal?”
The alcohol in beer doesn’t have any less of a punch than the alcohol in whiskey. In fact, one beer (12 oz) contains the same amount of alcohol in one shot (1.5 oz) of vodka, gin, whiskey, scotch or bourbon. And one serving of beer or liquor contains the same amount of alcohol as a glass of wine (5 oz.) When it comes to drinking, there isn’t any type that affects you less than the others.
“I actually drive better when I’ve had a few drinks.”
No you don’t. The alcohol is just making you think that you can. One of the first things that happen to people who drink is their inhibitions drop and their confidence goes up. It’s the reason you see people who can’t sing rushing to the karaoke microphone. Any feelings of extreme confidence are alcohol fueled, and should not be considered an asset when you get behind the wheel.
We’re bringing this up because tonight is New Years Eve, which is the exact night that a great deal of the population goes out and drinks a great deal of alcohol. Consequently, it’s also the night where a great many people are arrested for alcohol related offenses, and unfortunately it’s also the night where a lot of people get behind the wheel of their cars after they have been drinking.
It’s part and parcel of the holiday season, unfortunately. The number of alcohol related traffic fatalities spikes every year between December 15th and January 1st, and no doubt many of these people thought “I’m fine,” or “nothing will happen to me” before they got behind the wheel.
It would be tragic enough if all of these drunken driving accidents just involved those who chose to drink and drive, but the sad reality is that they often involve other people who, quite often, were obeying both the law and common sense and chose not to drink and drive.
Drinking and driving is not just a crime. It is also unbelievably negligent behavior, in which you can and should be held both criminally and financially responsible for any accidents or injuries that you cause. You have every right to go out and celebrate as you see fit, but you don’t have the right to endanger others when you do so. If you decide to have one drink, or a few, or a whole lot, don’t get behind the wheel of a car.
Greenberg and Bederman is an injury law firm that helps victims of car accidents in the Washington, D.C. area, and that includes people who have been injured due to the actions of drunk drivers. We believe that people who have been injured because of someone else’s negligence should be fully compensated for their medical bills, loss of income, pain and suffering and emotional hardship, and we further believe that drinking and driving is one of the purest forms of negligence that exists. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident or injured due to the actions of someone who was drinking and driving, Greenberg & Bederman for afree accident legal consultation.
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