When a driver is pulled over for being intoxicated, their life may change in multiple ways. In addition to prison time and fines, it is also believed that drunk driving crashes cost over $37 billion each year. When people drink and drive in Stamford, and across Connecticut, their behavior may attract the attention of an officer. If they are apprehended, their life may never return to normal, which highlights the importance of raising awareness and understanding how alcohol affects an individual’s ability to drive.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlined the dangerous effects of alcohol when it comes to operating a motor vehicle. In fact, drinking may affect someone’s ability to drive safely even after they have only consumed a relatively small amount of alcohol. After consuming roughly two drinks, some people will feel relaxed and lose judgment. Furthermore, their visual ability may decline and they may experience difficulty performing two tasks at once.
After consuming about three drinks, many people will lose control of small muscles (such as their eyes) and are not as alert. At this point, drivers may have a hard time steering, may experience reduced coordination and could have a slower response to emergencies. After four drinks, a driver’s reaction time, speech, hearing, vision and balance are often thrown off. Five drinks may cause drivers to have difficulty staying in their lane and coming to a stop, while seven drinks can significantly impair a driver’s ability to control their vehicle and pay attention to the road.
