Buzzed Driving – Making Dangerous Mistakes With Alcohol

There’s a new advertising campaign I keep hearing about “buzzed driving”.  It’s main point is to show that you don’t have to consider yourself really drunk to be a hazard on the road.  You can be a little buzzed with one or two drinks and still be dangerous.  Take a look at a few facts about driving and alcohol.

Alcohol Shuts Down Good Judgment For Driving

Alcohol Shuts Down Good Judgment

Alcohol is a depressant drug, which means it slows down the body’s functions.  However, being just a little drunk can give a slight euphoric feeling.  It increases confidence and decreases inhibitions.  In other words, you think you can do more than you really can.  And you don’t have a second thought about why it might be a bad idea.

Overconfidence and lowered inhibition – these two factors alone are very dangerous, and you haven’t even gotten into the car yet.  Your ability to make a good judgement about traveling in a two-ton metal vehicle goes out the window.

Driving Impairment Happens With Just One Or Two Drinks

You don’t have to be legally drunk to have a problem with your visual reaction time.    According to this chart by the Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, many women can be impaired with just one or two drinks.  Alcohol impairment is dictated by a person’s body weight and their gender.  Even men and women of the same weight don’t have the same level of impairment with the same amount of drinks.  Unfortunately, women have it the worse.  It takes less for women to become impaired with “just a few drinks” than it does for a man.

If you are bar hopping or hanging out somewhere after work, it’s extremely important to keep track of a few things – your current weight, the time you began drinking, the time you finished your last drink, how many drinks you had, and being sure you got the equivalent of just one drink for either beer, liquor, or wine each time.  That’s 1.25 ounces of 80 proof liquor, a 12 ounce beer, or a 5 ounce glass of wine.  Can’t keep all of that straight?  Then be sure you aren’t the driver when you go out.

Drinking With No Control Could Mean Alcohol Treatment In Your Future

Drinking responsibly requires some thinking and planning, especially if you know you might end up driving later.  If you tend to over-drink, drive when you are impaired, or can’t clearly remember how much alcohol you’ve had most times, you may need alcohol treatment.  If you get a DUI charge, you are likely to receive some form of alcohol treatment or education to help you learn about responsible drinking.

Some people discover that they have a bigger problem than they had realized.  Getting into an accident or watching a friend go through a DUI and alcohol treatment process can shake you into reality.  Just remember that it can take less than you think to make driving dangerous.