There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with getting together with your friends to socialize and have a few drinks. While some people have aversions to alcohol, others enjoy imbibing on occasion. It’s true that some people struggle with alcohol addiction, but there are many people who simply have a drink or two on occasion without it causing problems in their lives.
For all licensed Georgia drivers, however, alcohol is a big concern because there are many drunk drivers on the road who cause thousands of people injuries (many of which are fatal) every year. There are numerous practical ways to avoid drunk driving. It’s up to you to do so as a licensed driver. However, there is little you can do about the drivers with whom you share the road. No matter how safe a driver you are, another person’s negligence may cause you injury.
Never drive drunk
By the time an hour passes, someone will have died in a drunk driving accident somewhere in the United States. The following list provides practical ideas that can help you avoid driving under the influence of alcohol:
- Besides the obvious solution of abstaining from alcohol whenever you drive, it’s helpful to designate a driver if you know you will be drinking and later need to travel by motor vehicle. A designated driver agrees to abstain from alcohol and chauffeur anyone in the group who needs a ride.
- Abstinence works well if you happen to be the driver, but if you’re a passenger, it’s a bit tricky. You can’t tell another driver what to do, but you can refuse to ride in a car with a driver who has consumed alcohol.
- It is well known that food slows absorption of alcohol in the body, so it’s always best to eat while you are drinking.
- You can avoid drunk drivers on the road by recognizing signs of potential trouble. Intoxicated drivers often take bends far too widely, forget to use headlights in the dark or veer over the yellow line because their depth perception is impaired.
If you can distance yourself from a suspected drunk driver, it might help avoid a collision. Not every drunk driving situation is obvious, however. Alcohol affects every person differently. If someone hits you and you later learn that he or she was drunk, you might want to talk to someone well versed in personal injury laws in Georgia.
Many injured victims help offset their accident-related expenses, such as medical bills, by seeking monetary judgments against those whose negligence caused their injuries.
