Drinking And Driving – It’s Never OK

One of the most troubling issues regarding motoring, in any country, is that of people driving their cars while under the influence of alcohol. The laws governing acceptable drinking and driving differ in many countries, but just about every country in the world has a law regarding drinking and driving. The base point seems to be that it is something you just should not do.

The problem with drinking alcohol before getting behind the wheel of a car is that alcohol impairs reaction times and judgement. Many people will utter the oft-heard sentence “Well, I actually drive better when I have had a few. Even if this is objectively true, and it rarely is, it fails to take into account the fact that other drivers use the road too.

Therefore, a driver who is technically intoxicated may be in better control of their own vehicle than you might expect, but their reaction times will be compromised. Therefore, if another road user has a problem which outs other drivers at risk, the driver who has had a few drinks will be less likely to succeed in pulling a maneuver that avoids a crash.

There can be any number of debating points made about the safety or otherwise of drinking and driving, but the key point is that if you make a mistake or are unable to perform a safety maneuver because your judgement is impaired by alcohol, you are at least partially responsible for the crash. So if you are out drinking, leave the car at home.