It’s not uncommon for someone to go to the bar for a drink or two and then drive themselves home while buzzed. While this is something millions of Americans admit to doing each year, it raises the question, just how dangerous is buzzed driving?

Your BAC

When it comes to driving, the only safe BAC (blood alcohol content) is 0.00%. Studies consistently find that a BAC as low as 0.01% reduces reaction times and impacts decision making. In practical terms, that translates to a 46% higher chance of being in a car crash. As a driver’s BAC approaches the legal limit, these effects become more pronounced, and the risk increases.

Someone with a 0.04% BAC is under the legal limit but will start to experience slowed movement and vision blur, in addition to slowed reaction times. While these drivers are still within the BAC of what the government considers safe, it’s clear that any driving while intoxicated significantly increases the risk of a crash.

Safer Roads

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) agrees: Buzzed driving is drunk driving. Driving while intoxicated not only impacts your own safety, it affects everyone on the roads. If you’re going out for a drink, the best thing you can do is appoint a designated driver to get you and your friends home safely.

In the future, it may also be wise for the U.S. to reexamine what is legally considered “drunk driving.” Across the world, more than 100 other countries have lowered the legal BAC from 0.08% to 0.05%. Though a seemingly small change, that revision has reduced traffic drunk driving fatalities in other countries by an average of 10%!

If a drunk driver struck you or a loved one, our team is here for you. To schedule a free case consultation with an experienced Atlanta personal injury attorney from Goldstein Hayes & Lina, LLC, please call (888) 425-6070 or send us an email.