Tips To Help & Avoid Impaired Driving

Impaired driving refers to operating any vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs. According to a report led by the World Health Organisation, an estimated 32% of fatal car accidents involve an intoxicated driver or pedestrian.

Globally, 0.8% of Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) is considered as the legal limit for drivers aged 21 years or more. Any level of BAC higher than 0.8% can lead you in jail. Following are the consequences you’d face under the Criminal Code if you do not hire an impaired driving lawyer:

• Lose your license
• Have your vehicle impounded
• Need to pay an administrative monetary penalty
• Need to attend an education or treatment program
• Be fined upon conviction
• Be required to install an ignition interlock device in your vehicle
• Spend time in jail

Although, you can always take precautionary measures to avoid impaired driving as it puts your and the pedestrians life under the risk of a fatal accident. Here are some ways to avoid driving drunk:

Don’t Drink On An Empty Stomach

Health Scientists have revealed that alcohol is absorbed slowly by the body, when your stomach is full. Whereas on the other hand, alcohol causes a rapid spike in blood alcohol on an empty stomach. If you’re hungry or dehydrated, the booze will add up into your bloodstream right away and make you drunk even quicker.

Eat a big meal before showering shots down your throat, and drink as much water as you can to slow down the alcohol absorption rate of your body. This will help you to drive alertly and consciously, even being under the effect of alcohol.

Spend The Night

The best way to avoid impaired driving is to spend the night in. Although, it won’t be suitable if you’re at a bar or club. But if you’re having a party at a friend’s place, consider crashing there for the night. This will prevent you from risking your life while driving back home.

However if you’re extremely drunk, do not sleep right away because there are chances for you to choke on your own vomiting. Anyone passing out from alcohol should directly be taken to the hospital, just to be safe from any health concern.

Take A Public Transit

Taking a Public Transit on your drunk night might make you experience a bit of discomfort. But it is the safest, as well as the cheapest way to reach back home. Ask the bar management or your friend to park your car at a safe site and use public transport such as bus, tram or a subway. Pickup your car the next day when you are sober enough to drive.

Uber, Cab Or Ask A Sober Friend

If you’re a responsible citizen, you understand it yourself that you cannot drive under the influence of alcohol. You should opt for an uber or any other cab service to drop you back at home.

You can also find someone trustworthy who hasn’t been drinking and handover your car keys to them for the night. Ask them to take you home and park your car at their place for the night. Make sure they don’t return your keys back until the next day because we all know alcohol makes us do stupid things. Any of that stupidity is not worth risking anyone’s life.

Take The Night Off From Drinking

In a group of friends, you can choose turns for being the designated driver for the party night. If you and your friends take turns on being the designated driver on every drinking night and stick to a no-drinking plan, you can all drink more on different occasions and have a safe ride back home.

You can laugh at all the drunken antics without feeling totally gross, the next morning. If you really feel like you’re missing out, order a mocktail for yourself with pomegranate juice and sparkling water. It’s not the same and won’t have an immediate impact, but you also want to get home alive.