Driving while impaired (DWI) is a criminal offense in Minnesota. Despite this, some drivers still drink and drive.
Sometimes, this may go undetected and an impaired driver may make it to their destination without hurting themselves or others. Nonetheless, the sad reality is that impaired driving significantly increases the likelihood of a serious accident occurring.
Alcohol affects a driver’s ability in the following ways.
They may fall asleep at the wheel
Alcohol can have different effects depending on the person, time of day and other circumstances. Nonetheless, one potential impact of drinking is that it makes the person tired. An individual may not know until they start the vehicle that they are at risk of falling asleep. Unfortunately, by this point, it is already too late.
An impaired and drowsy driver may be unable to stay in the same lane, they may stray onto the sidewalk and even hit stationery vehicles. All of these incidents have the potential to cause serious injuries to the driver and anyone else in the vicinity.
Their reactions may be too slow
The evidence that alcohol slows reaction times is overwhelming. Studies show that for every 0.08% Blood Alcohol Content (BAC), a person’s reaction time slows by 120 milliseconds. This doesn’t sound like a lot but every millisecond counts when it comes to driving. A split second can mean the difference between being able to avoid a hazard and crash and not being able to.
If an impaired driver has caused an accident that injured you, then you can hold them to account. To find out more about personal injury claims, it will benefit you to seek some legal guidance.