Why Drinking And Driving is Unsafe
Most people enjoy drinking on occasion. A few others like to really let themselves go and get really drunk. It’s one thing if these guys want to hurt their brains, but sometimes, if they get behind the wheel of a car for example, they can hurt other people. This is why driving under the influence (DUI) is a felony in this country. If you’re caught drunk behind the wheel in Miami, you’ll need to get yourself a good Miami DUI lawyer, but even the best Miami DUI attorney will have a hard time defending someone who’s risked the lives of other law abiding citizens on the road.
So what can you do to make sure you don’t get behind the wheel when you’ve had too many? It’s fine to tell yourself you won’t drive if you get drunk, but we all know the reality is that once you’ve had a few, the brain goes out the window. This can be seen in actual scientific data, since when you start drinking, the parts of the brain that perform decision-making processes start to lose their function.
So it’s the best thing to do, if you head down to the bar, to keep the car at home. Consider taking a cab there and back instead, or catch a ride with a friend who’s not driving. If you’re a responsible enough person to limit yourself to just a couple of drinks before getting behind the wheel, make sure you don’t go over your state’s legal limit. In general, one drink every hour should be okay if you have a clean record.
Many people may think they can drink and then drive relatively safely, and to a very small extent this has truth to it. If you’re able to drive more or less on auto-pilot, your brain won’t be too impaired to do this if you’ve had a few drinks. However, dangers arise when you’re forced to make a snap decision in an emergency situation. When this happens, you will be significantly impaired for acting in the required manner. What this means is that if you have to react quickly from a car suddenly appearing in front of you, you won’t have the reflexes necessary to avoid hurting someone. People are often surprised that they are able to operate the car at all when they are drunk, and fool themselves into believing they are performing at their full capacity. The truth is, of course, that the impairment caused by alcohol, combined with the over-confidence it provides, mean that drunk drivers pose a major threat to anyone else on or near the road.
In conclusion, the safest bet is always to not drink before you’re driving anywhere. It might seem like a good idea after a couple of drinks, but think of what you’ve done in the past that felt like a good idea when you’re drunk, and remember the way you felt about it in the morning! At the very least, remember what rock singer Fat Mike said: “I say don’t drink and drive, you might spill your drink!”