Drunk driving is one of the major causes of car accidents. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that drunk driving claims approximately 11,600 lives each year. Clearly, these deaths are preventable, but they still happen.
Alcohol impairs a driver’s judgment, muscle coordination and reasoning, which are key for safe driving. As a result, the motorist might end up causing the following accidents:
Head-on collisions
Thanks to alcohol’s effects on the brain, it is not uncommon for drunk drivers to fall asleep or become drowsy behind the wheel. Consequently, they can easily veer off their lane into oncoming traffic resulting in a head-on collision.
Alcohol also impairs the driver’s vision as well as the ability to take note of traffic signs, thus increasing the possibility of a head-on collision.
Rear-end collisions
Alcohol hinders the driver’s ability to judge and maintain a safe distance while in traffic. It also slows down their reaction time. As a result, the driver loses the ability to react in time when the car in front slows down or stops abruptly causing a rear-end collision.
Wrong-way accidents
Because drunk motorists cannot read and process traffic signs very quickly, it is not uncommon for them to end up driving the wrong way or make mistakes while entering or exiting the expressway.
Either situation can put the driver at a greater risk of causing a collision at a high rate of speed.
Pedestrian accidents
An inhibited ability to comprehend a stop sign can result in a drunk driver running over a pedestrian at the crosswalk. The same can happen when the driver, under the influence of alcohol, veers off the road into a pedestrian lane resulting in an accident.
An alcohol-related car accident can have a devastating impact on the victim and their family. Find out how you can pursue a car accident lawsuit if you or a loved one is hurt in an accident that is not their fault.