How BAC Levels Impair Driving

New Jersey residents may be interested to know the effect that an individual’s blood alcohol concentration has on their physical and mental faculties and what that means when they get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. The slightest amount of alcohol consumed will have some type of effect on the individual. For example, a BAC of .02 percent leaves the individual feeling relaxed and causes their driving to become risky since their attention becomes easily diverted.

When the BAC increases to .05 percent, an individual’s judgment gets worse, they will become less aware, and they will begin to lose their ability to focus on an object visually. This means that when driving, the individual’s response to dangerous or unexpected situations will diminish. When a person’s BAC reaches .08 percent, they will begin to lose their balance, vision becomes blurred, and judgment continues to become more impaired. Driving during this time will be difficult since they may not be able to manage their vehicle’s speed.

When a person has a BAC of .10 percent, their reaction time and coordination skills will be severely affected, and when driving, they will not be able to drive within the lane or brake when needed. At the point that an individual’s BAC has reached .15 percent, they will have lost a lot of control over their muscles and be unable to balance. If they try to drive, they will not be able to pay attention or adequately control their vehicle.

If an individual has been involved in an accident caused by a drunk or impaired driver, they may consider contacting an attorney. Medical care, therapy costs, loss of income and damages to their automobile may be recoverable when evidence is presented in court that shows the fault and negligence of a drunk driver.