Volume 3, Issue 6                     The Traut Firm eNewsletter             Dec 2008            www.trautfirm.com

IF YOU DRINK, DON'T DRIVE   

There is no such thing as a drunk-driving accident. Impaired driving is never unintentional. It’s a bad personal choice.

When individuals impaired by alcohol, drugs, or medications get behind the wheel, they opt to put their own lives, as well as everyone else’s, in jeopardy.

In 2006, for instance, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that nearly 18,000 drivers and passengers died in alcohol-related traffic crashes in our nation.  That’s nearly a death every half-hour. Alcohol-, drug-, or medication-related deaths make up two of every five traffic fatalities.

You might be thinking, hey, I know my limits, but chances are you’re unaware of how just one drink can impair your ability to drive safely.

Alcohol affects everyone differently, and your blood alcohol concentration—the amount of alcohol in your system—depends upon a number of factors, such as your body weight, your fatigue level, the amount of food in your stomach, how much you drink, or how fast you drink. Your blood alcohol is a good indicator of how alcohol level affects your  behavior.

The legal limit in California is .08, but impairment begins well before that limit. At a blood alcohol limit of .02 reactions begin to slow, visual function declines and the first signs of poor judgment appear. At .05 driving skills deteriorate markedly; at .08 judgment, inhibition, coordination, balance, vision, hearing, and speech are affected. At .10 all mental and physical skills are affected and at .30 most people pass out and some die.

Only time, not drinking coffee or eating, can cancel the effects of alcohol. It takes an hour and 15 minutes to cancel the effects of one drink. Your just have to add another hour and 15 minutes for each additional drink.

Your risk of being involved in a fatal crash increases as your blood alcohol increases. For example, male drivers with a high blood alcohol concentration are more than 600 times as likely to die in a single-vehicle crash than sober male drivers. So anytime you plan an evening out involving alcohol, go with a plan to get home. Do not drive until the effects of the alcohol have worn off. Don’t ride in a car with a driver who has been drinking. Have a non-drinking friend as the designated driver for the evening. Taxi service in Orange County can take several hours for a pick up on a Friday or Saturday night, so don’t count on that option.

If you, a family member, or a friend has been injured by an impaired driver, contact our firm. We will help recover compensation for the injuries and see that justice is served. For more information, call The Traut Firm at (714) 835-7000.

The Traut Firm
"When You Mean Business"