This article is not meant to be part of a driver’s education manual. For this reason you will not be reading about changing lanes, parallel parking or turn signals. Instead you will be reading about the hazards of drunk driving and the folly of taking even a couple of drinks before driving. Societies such as MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, have gone a long way to educating us all about drinking and driving, but there is more information to know about the influence of drinking on your driving skills.

To start, taking even one drink begins to affect your ability to multitask. Some of us are not good at multitasking even when sober, so drinking will only make this ability or inability much worse. This is why so many television shows feature hilarious antics as a drunken person tries to do more than one thing at a time, normally making a mess of it all. Our brains just can’t deal with the alcohol and still be able to function normally, and it seems to be the ability to multitask that goes first.

Concentration is essential for driving and this can be hard even if you are sober. You need to keep an eye on a number of things; out of the windshield, side mirrors and rearview mirrors just to name a few. Even in rural roads where there are fewer drivers you still have to be alert, because you never know when an animal might dart out across the road. Your driving will suffer if you are not at your most alert.

Really busy roads can be difficult to drive on even without the influence of alcohol. This is because there are many things that can change in a moment. You can never assume what the other drivers on the road will do. The elderly lady beside you can decide to change lanes suddenly or brake a long distance before a stop sign. Other drivers might not be as careful as they should be. Reaction times are slower when you have consumed alcohol. What should be an easy task of navigating through traffic becomes a difficult one when we are slowed down by alcohol and the chances of having an accident increase.

There are many other reasons why driving safely can be very difficult after just one or two drinks, but these examples should begin to show that drinking and driving is just a bad idea. It can be very dangerous, and should be avoided. Get a designated driver, or choose not to drink if you are somewhere that it would be difficult to take a cab home from. If all else fails, sleep in your car for the night if you can’t find a ride. Your safety and the safety of others is too important.

This information is provided solely for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.

William Bly of Nielsen and Bly is a Portland Maine lawyer whose website has more information available about Maine DUI penalties.

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