Driving a vehicle isn’t an easy task. It takes coordination, concentration, and the ability to process information quickly and react accordingly. Being intoxicated hinders all of these abilities. The result is that you’re much more likely to get in or cause a road accident if you choose to drink and drive.
There are many reasons why you shouldn’t drink and drive. Here are just five of them.
The Top Reasons To Avoid Drink Driving
Poor Judgement
When you drink excessive alcohol, your ability to make rational decisions goes down. You are more likely to do things that you wouldn’t usually do, such as drive a vehicle while intoxicated. Once you’re actually driving, your poor judgement can cause you to take unnecessary risks and break road rules.
Slow Reactions and Reduced Coordination
When you’re inebriated, your coordination becomes impaired, as does your reaction time. This is a dangerous combination while driving. When you’re moving at high speed, you need to be able to identify a potential hazard and react simultaneously.
When you drink and drive there can be a decent lag between seeing the hazard, recognising that it is a hazard, and reacting to the hazard. Even if you do react in time, you’re more likely to miss the brakes or let go of the wheel because of poor coordination. This is a recipe for road accidents.
Blurred Vision
Consuming excess alcohol can impair your vision. This is particularly dangerous when driving, especially at night. Without being able to see the road in front of you, read signs, or recognise traffic lights, getting into an accident is much more likely.
Exhaustion and Lapses in Concentration
Alcohol is a depressant that slows down the brain and nervous system. This does many things, including making you tired. Exhausted drivers are more likely to get into road accidents due to lapses in concentration. Drunk drivers are even more likely to fall asleep at the wheel.
Severe Consequences
When you drink and drive you’re much more likely to get into a road accident for all of the above reasons, putting you and other innocent drivers at risk. This is why drinking and driving is a serious offense in Australia. In NSW, your license will be immediately suspended, you could have to pay thousands of dollars in fines, and you could even serve a prison term.
When it comes to drink driving and insurance, you will likely not be covered if you do get into an accident under the influence. You may also find it difficult to get a good rate on CTP car insurance NSW in the future, as insurers look at your driving history to assess whether you’re a safe driver. These consequences add up but are nothing compared to the harm you could inflict on yourself or another driver if you get into a road accident due to being intoxicated.
If you know you’re going to be drinking, plan ahead. Arrange alternate transport so that you aren’t tempted to drink and drive once your judgement is impaired by alcohol. Get competitive quotes using Greenslips4Earth’s greenslip calculator.
