It is the weekend. It is very common for adults to consume some alcoholic beverages during their down time, and that in and of itself isn’t a bad thing. However, a recent psychological study regarding drunk driving supports why safety advocates worry about the risks of drunk driving in Pennsylvania and beyond.
University researchers studied the behavior of 82 adults. They got the subjects’ sober opinions about drinking and driving. Then, the subjects were given drinks, and the researchers continued to evaluate the drunk driving opinions over the course of alcohol consumption. The findings took the researchers by surprise.
Basically, the researchers expected the subjects’ judgment to be compromised as they had more and more drinks. One author indicates the surprise was in the fact that the opinions about drunk driving and safety changed so drastically compared to the subjects’ sober judgements.
What does this have to do with personal injury law? It is no secret that drinking and driving is a dangerous, often deadly behavior. Experience and past DUI accidents prove how reckless it is to drive under the influence. Studies, too, add to the argument that drivers should know better than to drink and drive. When a drunk driving accident happens, the driver responsible can’t say, “But I know better when I am sober. I swear!”
Alcohol impairs judgment, whether it is two servings or ten. The person who gets hurt and his family won’t care how drunk a driver was. They will only care that that driver is held accountable for making a decision he or she had no excuse not to prevent.
Source: Health Day, “People’s Beliefs on Drunk Driving May Change When They’re Drunk,” Maureen Salamon, Sep. 12, 2013