Garland, TX DWI Accident Attorney

Intoxicated driving is one of the most serious issues that can put people's safety at risk. Alcohol and drugs can affect the basic abilities that are needed to operate a vehicle safely. Crashes caused by impaired drivers tend to be violent and deadly, because these drivers often fail to brake, swerve, or react at all before colliding with another vehicle or pedestrian. People who have been injured by drunk or drugged drivers can take steps to obtain financial compensation that will address their injuries and other damages.

Jerry D. Andrews, P.C. provides representation for victims of drunk driving accidents. Our attorney will help victims protect their rights and hold all responsible parties accountable for the harm they have caused. Whether taking action against an intoxicated driver or a business that sold or served them alcohol, he will work to ensure that a victim will be made whole.

How Alcohol Impairs a Person's Ability to Drive

Alcohol begins affecting the brain almost immediately after a person takes a drink. The more a person drinks, the more their ability to drive will deteriorate. At the same time, alcohol can affect a person's ability to recognize their level of impairment. Many people choose to get behind the wheel while they are intoxicated because they believe they can drive safely, even though they are unable to do so. The ways a person may be affected by alcohol use include:

• Vision and Perception: Alcohol intoxication can limit a person's peripheral vision, making it harder for them to notice hazards at the edges of their visual field. Alcohol can also affect a person's depth perception and their ability to track moving objects, and it can cause blurred or double vision.
• Coordination and Motor Control: Driving requires a person to maintain physical coordination as they handle steering, braking, and accelerating. Alcohol disrupts the communication between the brain and the muscles. A person's motor skills will deteriorate, and the smooth, precise movements that they will need to make when driving will become difficult or impossible. A drunk driver may drift between lanes, struggle to maintain a consistent speed, or be unable to respond correctly to hazards.
• Reaction Time: Alcohol use will lead to a delay between when someone notices something and when they can respond. When driving, a delay of even a fraction of a second can mean the difference between avoiding a collision and causing a catastrophic crash.
• Judgment and Decision-Making: Alcohol affects the part of the brain that is responsible for impulse control. Impaired drivers are more likely to take risks, misjudge distances and speeds, ignore traffic signals, attempt dangerous maneuvers, or fail to recognize dangerous situations before it is too late.
• Concentration and Attention: Drivers need to be able to pay attention to multiple issues at once. Alcohol will affect a driver's ability to maintain focus and process information. An impaired driver may hazards and fail to notice important details, such as a pedestrian in a crosswalk, a vehicle slowing down ahead of them, or a red light or stop sign.

How Drugs Can Impair Driving Ability

Alcohol is not the only substance that can lead to intoxication. A wide range of drugs and other substances can cause impairments that are just as dangerous as alcohol. These may include:

• Illegal Drugs: Marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and other controlled substances can affect the brain and body in different ways, but they can all cause serious impairments that will affect a person's ability to drive. Marijuana can lead to delayed reaction times, impaired coordination, and distorted perceptions of time and distance. Stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine may cause erratic and aggressive behavior, overconfidence, and hallucinations. Opioids like heroin or morphine can slow a person's response times or cause them to lose consciousness.
• Prescription Medications: Some people may believe that the medications they use are safe because they were prescribed by doctors. However, many medications carry warnings against operating heavy machinery, which includes driving vehicles. Opioid pain medications, medications for anxiety or sleep disorders, muscle relaxants, and certain antidepressants or antipsychotic medications can lead to issues such as fatigue, delayed reaction times, impaired coordination, and reduced alertness.
• Over-the-Counter Medications: Some medications that are available without a prescription can lead to impairments that may affect a person's driving ability. Antihistamines in allergy and cold remedies can cause drowsiness. Sleep aids, motion sickness medications, and pain relievers can have similar effects.
• Drug-Alcohol Combinations: The use of multiple substances at once, including controlled substances, prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, and alcohol, can have effects that are more severe than any single substance on its own. The effects of multiple substances can be unpredictable, and drivers may be affected suddenly and with little warning.