4 Ways Alcohol Can Affect Your Driving Ability

In order to drive safely, you need your body and brain working together. For this reason, drinking alcohol and driving is not safe, it is common for intoxicated drivers to commit traffic offenses because alcohol has affected their ability to drive.

The environment is constantly changing as an individual drives, and you need to be able to make fast decisions and have quick reaction times in order to stay safe. Impaired drivers are a danger, accidents happen when a person is unable to drive safely. If you have been in an accident and charged with driving while intoxicated, talk an experienced Houston DWI lawyer about next steps.

Alcohol Can Reduce Reaction Times

When a person ingests alcohol, it can decrease their reaction times. This means more time is needed for them to understand a situation and react to it. Studies have shown an individual under the influence reacts to stimulation slower than they do when they are sober. Reaction times can be reduced by 15%-25%. This delay is a window in which accidents can happen.

Because a person is unable to understand and respond to their situation properly, driving under the influence creates real road risks. Every driver on the road needs to understand and act to situations and signals efficiently and rapidly in order for everyone’s safety.

Effects on Motor Skills

Coordination is impacted when you drink alcohol, both your gross motor skills and your fine motor skills. This means a loss of coordination for large movements, such as walking or running to your car, or small movements, such as turning on your windshield wipers. The loss of coordination between the eyes, hands, and feet, can lead to disastrous results.

Inability to See Clearly

Of course, driving requires a person to see clearly. So one of the reasons that driving while impaired is so dangerous is that alcohol can impair a person’s ability to see. Because eye muscle function slows down, it can be difficult for a drunk driver to focus. Also, there is a reduction of peripheral vision when a person is under the influence. Blurred vision, inability to judge distances, and a reduction in night vision are all possible with alcohol use.

Concentration Issues

Alcohol, even in small amounts, can make it difficult for an individual to concentrate. Because the task of driving requires a person to pay attention to a few things at once—the speed of the vehicle, where the vehicle is on the road, and the behaviors of others—having a clear head is important. Traffic accidents are possible when a person is impaired and their focus drifts from the task of driving itself.

Were you charged with a DWI after alcohol affected your ability to drive? Our experienced legal team can defend you against criminal charges. We have the knowledge to protect you whether the alleged crime was minor or serious. Reach out to the legal team at Ayson Law Firm to understand your rights. Contact us today for a free consultation with a Houston criminal defense attorney today.