Tips On Driving More Safely

This article is not another one on how to learn basic driving skills. You don't need to be reading about changing lanes, parallel parking and turn signals. Instead you will be learning about the risks taken when drinking and driving and how drinking even a little before driving can cause major problems. Associations like MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, have been able to make great strides in educating people about driving after drinking. However you should consider how drinking can affect your driving skills.

Multitasking becomes more difficult with just one drink. This is not a skill that everybody can do well anyway, just imagine how much harder it will be if you have been drinking. It has been a subject of amusement on TV shows to portray a drunken person trying to multitask and getting all tied up. We cannot function in a normal way when influenced by alcohol and multitasking could be the first skill to be affected.

Even when you are not under the influence of alcohol you need to concentrate in order to drive. You must keep up a continuous watch on rearview mirrors, side mirrors or just out of the windshield. Even on remote country lanes, where there are not many drivers on the road, we still have to be alert and be aware of our surroundings, as animals could cross at anytime and present a danger. If our senses are impaired and we are unable to concentrate our driving will not be up to standard.

The road is a difficult place to drive even when sober, especially really busy roads. This is true because there are so many variables that can change at any given time. Other people are also driving vehicles, and we can't always assume that we know what another driver is going to do in advance. The older lady in the car next to you may decide to change lanes at the last minute, or begin to brake half a mile before the stop sign. Other drivers are not always as careful as they should be, either. Drinking only makes reaction times slower. Instead of easily navigating traffic, we tend to react slowly, and can easily wind up in an accident.

This article just illustrates a few points of how even the smallest amount of alcohol can prevent you from driving safely. Driving under the influence is just not the smartest thing to do. Given the dangers of driving after drinking, it is best to try to take preventive action. Something to think about is choosing a designated driver, or even abstain from alcohol altogether. If you really cannot arrange any alternative you can always just sleep in your car. The sacrifice will be well worth it as your safety and that of others is of paramount importance.

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

William Bly of Nielsen and Bly is a Portland OUI lawyer whose website has more information available about Maine drunk driving laws.