The act of drinking and driving is against the law in South Africa. It is one of the biggest threats on the roads, causing many horrific and fatal car accidents daily. We are unfortunate to have other options or modes of transport available to get ourselves and others safely to their destinations.
The legal blood alcohol limit in South Africa is 0.05g per 100ml. On average, this constitutes a maximum of one unit of alcohol per hour, in other words the average person should only process one unit of alcohol per hour in order to remain under the legal limit.1
How does driving a car whilst being under the influence of alcohol affect us?
How does alcohol affect my driving?2
Here are seven ways alcohol can affect your driving.
- Your judgement: The main impact that alcohol has on the human body is its effect on the brain; thus affecting our judgement. When our judgement is affected, we are unable to reason, think clearly, plan and make sound decisions.
- Your concentration: Your level of concentration can be affected by consuming even a small amount of alcohol. When you drive, you have to perform many tasks, and when you consume a small amount of alcohol, you are only able to concentrate on fewer things.
Drunk drivers’ vision is impaired, and they are easily distracted. Their attention span is shorter. When you are driving, you need to be able to do many things at once. You must be able to position your vehicle, maintain the correct speed and be aware of other cars on the road. If you lose concentration for just a second, you could cause an accident.
- Your comprehension: Drunk motorists may struggle to understand road signs, traffic lights and traffic signals.
- Your coordination: We need our fine and gross motor skills to perform daily tasks. When we consume alcohol, it can affect our motor skills quite significantly, whether walking to the car or even putting the key in the ignition. It affects the loss of eye, hand and foot coordination needed when driving, especially in an emergency and being able to react appropriately if it were to happen.
- Your vision: Your vision is significantly impaired when under the influence of alcohol. When drunk drivers drive, they usually focus on one thing for a long time and are not aware of their crucial peripheral areas. They are unable to judge depth and distance; they have blurred vision and have less colour perception and impaired night vision. This happens because being under the influence slows down your eye muscle function and peripheral vision.
- Your reaction time: When driving under the influence of alcohol it can slow down your reflexes, making it harder to react to possible emergencies. Because of your impaired coordination and comprehension, a drunk driver’s reaction time slows down by 15 to 25 percent. This results in more accidents, injuries and fatalities. Drunk drivers’ reflexes are affected, which means that alcohol impairs their ability to respond to certain situations on the road.
- Keeping track of your car’s position on the road: Driving under the influence can decrease your ability to judge your position on the road, driving within the designated lanes, road signs as well as other cars around you.
Stay safe on our roads. Do not drive when you are under the influence of alcohol. Also, do not get into a car if the driver has been drinking.
It may also be a good idea to have car insurance. Are you looking for affordable car insurance? Get affordable car insurance with PMD.
Disclaimer:
This article was prepared by Eric Sandmann in his personal capacity. The views and opinions in the article should not be attributed to anyone but the author unless expressly stated. Nothing in this article should be relied upon as advice, this publication is presented for informational purposes only. No person should act or refrain from acting in reliance on any information found in this article, without first obtaining proper financial advice from the appropriate professional. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, or completeness, of any information linked from, referred to, or contained in this article. The author reserves the right, to edit and change the content of this article.
Sources:
1https://www.womenonwheels.co.za/safety/drinking-driving-exactly-limit/
2https://www.dwiminneapolislawyer.com/7-ways-alcohol-can-affect-your-driving-skills/
How Much Is Too Much To Drink Before I Drive? The Safest Driving Rule is ZERO Alcohol before and when you Drive! https://t.co/DVK8qLEiCK @TrafficRTMC @DoTransport
#ArriveAlive pic.twitter.com/1gSKY9Nrqt— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) November 16, 2019