Drink driving safety for road users

Any article dealing with road safety would be incomplete without the absolutely clear advice to never engage in drink driving. Full stop, period. It should never be taken part in, because not only are the health risks to yourself and others too great, but it can quite literally ruin lives. A good proportion of all yearly accidents can be attributed to alcohol intake, and it’s the one practice that most people would consider unforgivable.

However, unfortunately, the world is not so simple and easy that ‘don’t do it’ is all you need to keep in mind. Sometimes, events, scenarios and other road users can catch you in a less rational state than you might usually be, and no matter how hard it is to talk about, it must be discussed. This may help road users understand what to do in troublesome situations. For instance, you may keep up with your no-drinking rule, but what if having to drive others that are drunk in your vehicle, such as a friend coming home from a party? We can see how alcohol, even if we do not consume it, can affect our driving experience.

With that in mind, please consider the following advice:

Other Road Users

Just because you know that drinking and driving does not mix, ever, it doesn’t mean others have internalized this most obvious of lessons. On a Friday or Saturday night, you’re bound to come across at least one or two people driving drunk around your town at a minimum – it’s just part of life. No matter how many safety precautions are in place, or how punitive the measures, alcohol completely removes our inhibitions, and so you can bet someone will think they can pull off this drive.

Being able to inspect other road users driving habits can be important, such as viewing inconsistent car handling, an inability to stop before lights easily, and sometimes, even more exaggerated dangerous driving. If you see this, give the vehicle an extremely wide birth and report the license plate and model of the car to the police. This way, you may prevent someone from losing their life.

Car Etiquette

If someone is in your vehicle drunk, it’s important to make things emphatically clear. Keeping the radio at a reasonable volume, having them sit in the back seat with the window slightly open, ensuring they have their seat belt on and you pull over if they begin to act in a boisterous manner can be essential. Car etiquette matters, and setting those ground rules, even if you’re not drinking, can be essential to keep in mind.

When you approximate that best solution, you can overcome the worries you may have otherwise had. Additionally, never feel afraid of flat out denying driving a drunk person home, because unless you have promised you are under no obligation to put yourself at risk. This can sometimes be felt if being asked to drive three or four people home in this state, as keeping control of the car can be difficult. Taxi cabs can be your friend.

Your Own Drinking

Even if you rarely drink, it can be that you are still technically driving drink or impaired due to a heavy party the night before. Many people think a good sleep can completely get rid of the blood alcohol level in their system, but that’s not true. It’s still perfectly possible to be functionally drunk the morning after, and so driving home from a party or staying over at a friend’s place can still be dangerous.

It’s important to understand this, and to get enough sleep, to eat enough, to stay hydrated, and to rest before embarking on the roads. Do not allow yourself to drive if you’re unsure. Not only can you put yourself and others in harms way, but even if it’s been 16 hours since you were last drinking, you can still technically be arrested for drunk driving provided you fail the breathalyzer test.

Overcoming Past Indiscretions

Sometimes, it’s important to overcome past indiscretions and still stand tall within a legal setting. With DUI Attorney Vista, you can help understand the ramifications and consequences of how a driving incident like this will affect your driving career in the future, and you can put yourself on the best path towards recovery and redemption in the eyes of the law. For some, this is an important stepping stone to reclaiming the potential in their lifetime.

With this advice, we hope drink driving safety for road users can be used as an addition to conventional marketed wisdom.


Photo Credit: energepic.com

Written By
More from CF Staff
McLaren unveils track-focused 650S Sprint at Pebble Beach
McLaren is set to premiere its four latest versions at this year’s...
Read More
0 replies on “Drink driving safety for road users”