Labor Day — the unofficial end of summer — is nearing, and people in the Knoxville area may be making plans to spend the holiday having a drink or two. There is no harm in having a couple of drinks and then driving home, right? Actually, you do not have to be at or above the legal limit to be too impaired to safely drive, causing a drunk driving accident.
Three drinks may be three drinks too many
For example, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if you have had about three alcoholic drinks, and your blood alcohol concentration is 0.05%, your coordination and ability to track moving objects on the roadway may be reduced. You may also find it difficult to manipulate the steering wheel effectively. You may also find it more difficult to respond appropriately to emergency driving situations. Any of these effects could easily lead to a car crash that injures or kills another person, even though your BAC is below the legal limit.
However, having a mere two drinks is safe, right? Perhaps not. If your BAC is even as low as 0.02%, your ability to rapidly track moving targets on the road and your ability to divide your attention between two different tasks may be compromised. These skills are essential to driving, and if they are impaired, it could lead to a catastrophic drunk driving accident.
Pursuing compensation against a drunk driver
Ultimately, we all want to have a safe holiday this Labor Day, so think carefully about making sure you have a plan for getting home from the festivities safely if you plan on drinking. And, if you are the unfortunate victim of an accident caused by a drunk driver you may want to learn more about your legal options. Drunk driving breaches a motorist’s duty of care. If this breach both actually and proximately caused your injuries, you may be able to pursue compensation.
