Dangers of Drink Driving

Drink Driving causes countless deaths on UK roads every year, the government have been very strong in trying to end its carnage.

Drink driving can lead to very serious consequences for everyone traveling on the roadway even those that choose not to drink and drive. In 2010, there were more than 8,000 accidents resulting from a person that was drink driving, and there were more than 2,000 deaths and serious injuries in the UK. According to the THINK! Road Safety Campaign, 17% of all fatalities on the road occurred as a result of drink driving.

There are many dangers that drink drivers pose to other people and to themselves. Most people know that when you drink, there is an increased likelihood that you will lose control of your vehicle, but there are also many other related factors to take into account that make drink driving a terrible choice no matter what your circumstance is.

Impaired Judgment and Reaction Times

One reason that drink driving is extremely dangerous for the drink driver, all passengers in the car, and every other motorist that crosses their path is that a person’s judgment can be severely impaired with just a small drink.

The amount of alcohol that you consume will directly impacts your ability to operate a motor vehicle to the best of your ability.

Another problem with people that drink and drive is that they feel more confident in their abilities are rarely assume that the alcohol can have a negative effect on their driving. This is completely false. Small to moderate amounts of alcohol can impair judgment and delay reaction times. Large quantities of alcohol can induce sickness, vomiting, and complete incoherency, all of which can cause harm and damage to many people if the person chooses to get behind the wheel.

Having your faculties about you while driving is imperative to ensuring the safety of all passengers in the vehicle and everyone else on the road.

Increased Risk of Accidents

The delayed reaction times and impaired judgment lead to a far higher risk of accidents. Impaired drivers are much more likely to get into an accident than people who are driving sober. These accidents can have many consequences, death and imprisonment being just two of the many.

The number of accidents due to drink driving has decreased quite a bit in recent years, but there are still many fatalities each year. Courts in the UK have taken a much harsher approach to apportioning jail time and fines to people that injure someone else behind the wheel.

The UK has tough penalties for being caught drink driving - this is to deter people from even having the smallest drink and endangering lives.

Penalties for Drink Driving

If you are caught drink driving, you will be fined and you will not be able to drive legally for 12 months. If an officer pulls you over and believes that you are intoxicated, you will need to submit to a breathalyser test on the roadside. If you are above the legal limit, you will immediately be cited. The first offense will incur a fine of up to £5,000, a suspension of your license, and in some cases, up to 6 months in jail.

If you are caught drink driving multiple times within a 10-year period, the fines will increase tremendously as well as the jail time that you could potentially be sentenced to. In addition, you will not be able to legally drive for three years rather than just one.

If you get into an accident, you will face much stiffer fines and penalties. If anyone else is injured or killed, you could face quite a bit more time in jail.

Legal Ramifications

If you are charged with drink driving, you will also need to find an attorney to represent you in court. Attorney fees can be very expensive, and you will also need to spend some time looking for someone qualified enough to represent your case.

Once you have found an attorney, you will then need to attend your hearing so that you will understand your sentencing and the verdict rendered on you.

Being caught drink driving carries severe consequences including a record against your name and problems further down the line with insurance costs.

Life-Altering Affects of Drink Driving

In addition to all of these dangers, there are a few life-altering changes that can be made to your life as a result of drink driving. First, if someone else is killed while you are drink driving, it is something that you will have to think about and be able to live with for the rest of your life.

If you are caught drink driving, it will be noted on your record. When your future employers or credit agencies perform a background check on you, they will see the charge, and this can hurt your chances of landing your next job.

Drinking while driving can have many varied consequences and dangers, so it is best to avoid alcohol entirely if you plan to drive at any point. It will take you a few hours to completely rid your body of the alcohol.

References:

Facts on drink driving: http://www.drinkaware.co.uk/facts/drink-driving

THINK! Road Safety Campaign: http://think.direct.gov.uk/index.html.