Car accidents - Examining the dangers of drink-driving

Stella, Strongbow, Smirnoff or Shiraz. Everyone's got their own favourite tipple but, thankfully, most of us know when enough is enough.

And where driving is concerned, one is usually more than enough.

Luckily, the majority of Britain's road users know this and steer well clear of the booze if they're planning to get behind the wheel. Sadly, and quite often tragically, some people just don't know when they've had enough and attempt to drive when they're over the legal alcohol limit.

The likely result of such action could be a car accident and innocent passers-by are often injured or killed as a result. Alcohol and driving just don't mix well at all and if they are mixed, heartbreak, tragedy and despair are sure to be not far away.

How much can I drink?

The law in the UK currently requires drivers to have less than 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. Some people consider it okay to drink a pint of lager or a small glass of wine and still remain within the threshold, but there really is no failsafe guide on how much you can consume before you break the law.

The amount of alcohol in your blood will depend not only on how much you've drunk, but also on a whole range of factors such as your body weight, your gender and your metabolism. Therefore, a pint might not put one individual over the limit but could do some for somebody else.

The only real way of making sure you stay within the limit is to keep away from alcohol altogether if you're planning to drive.

The dangers of alcohol

So how does alcohol actually affect your driving and why is an excess likely to cause a car accident?

When the booze hits your bloodstream it's not long before you start to notice the effects and even the smallest amount of alcohol is likely to make you do things you wouldn't normally do. Losing your judgement and feeling the need to dance like a hyperactive Billy Elliot might not be such a bad thing if you're out at a party, but when you're behind the wheel you really do need all your wits about you.

That lost judgement is likely to result in trying things that any sober driver would never dream about doing. Overtaking unsafely, taking corners too fast and failing to watch the road properly are all typical of drink-drivers and cause numerous car accidents every year.

Poor coordination and impaired reactions are also common for a driver with a drink or two inside them. You might see the car ahead braking sharply, but the time it takes for the brain to tell the right foot to hit the brake is likely to increase dramatically, thus heightening the possibility of a car crash.

Innocent passers-by

Car drivers aren't the only victims of drink-driving and thousands of totally innocent pedestrians have been hurt of lost their lives because of the irresponsible actions of someone who was incapable of keeping off the sauce. Mowing down people who are using zebra crossings or mounting the kerb and hitting those on the pavement are all too frequent occurrences on British roads, and it is not unfair to say that drink-drivers are often the perpetrators.

Over 3,000 people are killed or receive serious personal injuries every year as a direct result of drink-driving. Many of those involved thought that one more drink wouldn't affect them. They couldn't have been more wrong.

Make a personal injury compensation claim

If your life, or the life of a loved one, has been injured by a drink driver then you could be in a position to make a car accident compensation claim. Here at Car Accident Advice Line we've years of experience of helping people win the compensation that can help them get their life back on track.

The whole process won't cost you a penny and our personal injury solicitors work on a no win, no fee basis and make every effort to protect you from costs. They won't charge you for their services and you can even keep 100% of any compensation awarded.

So pick up the phone today and call the car accident experts on 0808 143 43 42. We're waiting to take your call and we really can help.