Much has been written and said about drunk driving accidents, and Homestead motorists understand how important it is to drive sober. Drivers are repeatedly told how easily they can cause an accident if they drive inebriated.
Unfortunately, an unintended side effect of this is that some drivers think that driving while slightly “buzzed” is okay as long as they are not inebriated or at the blood alcohol limit. A new study headed by David Phillips of the University of California, San Diego, however, finds that “buzzed driving” may be far more dangerous than many think.
The recent study examined more than 570,000 fatal crashes that took place across the country between 1994 and 2011. According to the findings, no amount of alcohol in the blood can be considered safe – even drivers who had alcohol levels below the acceptable limit were more likely to be the ones at fault in accidents. Even drivers with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .01 percent had a 46% higher chance of causing an accident when compared with sober motorists. This means that an adult man who has drunk half of one 12-ounce beer – about what it would take to get a .01 percent blood alcohol content level – has a higher risk of causing a serious accident.
The problem is that at .01 percent BAC, many motorists would barely feel the effects of the alcohol. They might still feel fine to drive and might not realize that they are at an increased risk of a car or motorcycle accident in Homestead or their home town. The U.S. legal driving limit for BAC is .08 percent, so it is perfectly legal to drive with a .01 percent BAC, even though the recent study suggests that it does come with a risk.
According to the latest study, the .08 percent BAC limit may as well be random. Researchers did not find any significant difference in terms of crash risk between someone with a .07 percent BAC and someone with a .08 percent BAC. What they did find is that both male and female drivers had an increased risk of causing an accident for every increase in their BAC, even when they were legally “okay” to drive. Inexperienced drivers, researchers found, were most likely to be affected by even a .02 BAC while experienced drivers had a significantly higher risk of causing a fatal accidents at a .05 BAC or higher.
Researchers concluded that only drivers with zero blood alcohol content can be considered safe and lowering the blood alcohol content levels for US drivers might help reduce instances of DUI traffic crashes in Homestead and other cities.
As the researchers note, part of the problem is that there are inaccurate perceptions about what constitutes DUI driving. Due to the laws and awareness campaigns, many people think that having a .07 BAC or below means you are “not drunk” while having anything higher means that you are, when in fact the reality is that any alcohol in your system can increase your risk of a serious accident and injuries.
At Flaxman Law Group, we understand how terrifying a serious car accident and injury can be, which is why we work around the clock and do everything possible to make the legal process as easy as possible for you. It all begins with a free, no obligation case consultation so that you can review the specifics of your case with a personal injury attorney in order to get honest and compassionate legal advice about your case. Call us today to arrange for your free appointment.