Nebraska has numerous laws addressing and penalizing drivers who hit the road while under the influence. It goes without say that drunk drivers can act as a hazard to themselves and other drivers on the road.
But what is it about alcohol that makes DUI so dangerous? How does alcohol impact the body and in what ways does it make a driver more prone to crashing?
Alcohol’s impact on your judgment
The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration takes a look at how alcohol impacts the system of a driver. It affects a few different areas, including your judgment, vision and reflexes. Unfortunately, every area it impacts tends to be very important to your overall ability to drive safely.
For example, alcohol affects the area of the brain responsible for judgment. This area stores your knowledge and experiences, allowing you to quickly reference it in times of need when you are facing new problems. Alcohol makes it harder to access this information, diminishing your ability to come up with solutions to these problems.
Physical effects of alcohol
Many areas of your vision suffer. For one, alcohol makes it harder to differentiate between colors. This is a huge issue when so many road signs and signals rely on color to tell you their meaning. You may also suffer from blurred or double vision and a slowed focus. Alcohol also affects your ability to judge distance, movement and speed. It can impact you at as low as 0.02% BAC.
Your reflexes slow, too. Your ability to process new information and respond to critical tasks suffers a heavy blow. You also become less alert and may get drowsy, perhaps even falling asleep at the wheel. All of these factors make for a very dangerous driver.
