California is no stranger to drunk driving accidents. It is important to understand that you do not need to have a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) level above the legal limit of 0.08% to be too impaired to drive. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it only takes a couple of drinks to affect your driving abilities and subsequently lead to a car crash.
The impact of three drinks on your driving abilities
If you have consumed around three alcoholic drinks, and your BAC is 0.05%, you may think you are safe to drive. However, this may not be the case. If your BAC is 0.05%, you may find that your coordination and ability to follow moving objects have declined. You may find it harder to manipulate the steering wheel. In addition, your ability to respond to an emergency driving situation may be reduced. It is easy to see how these impairments could cause a drunk driving accident.
The impact of two drinks on your driving abilities
If you have consumed even around two alcoholic drinks, and your BAC is 0.02%, your ability to drive could still be impaired. You may find that your ability to rapidly track a moving object has declined. You may also find it more difficult to perform more than one task at a time. Two drinks may not seem like much, but they can be enough to cause impairment and a subsequent car crash.
Is any amount of alcohol safe when it comes to driving?
Given this information, some may say that consuming any amount of alcohol makes it unsafe to drive. Even if you are not charged with a DUI following a drunk driving accident, you still could face a legal claim brought by victims injured in the crash. It is better, then, to plan an alternative route home after drinking. Ride with a designated driver, hail a taxi or ridesharing service or stay where you are until you are sober. Drunk driving accidents are something we as a society should all work to avoid. With safe options available, you can avoid causing an accident that injures or kills another person.