On the night of April 26, 2013, a
drunk driver struck a pregnant woman and fled the scene. The accident occurred when
the 58 year old drunk driver from Albany, New York was heading westbound on 116th
street. The drunk driver made a left turn onto 2nd avenue and struck
a pregnant female pedestrian crossing the street. The lady was using a
crosswalk.
The collision occurred around 9 PM. The
pregnant lady was taken to a nearby medical center. It is unknown what her
injuries were resulting from the accident. The driver was charged with driving
under the influence, fleeing the scene, failure to use designated lane, refusal
to take a breathalyzer test, and lack of exercising due care.
How
Alcohol Affects the Brain’s Ability to Drive
Sadly, accidents like the one described above occur quite
frequently. Often times, drivers believe themselves safe to drive while
impaired by alcohol or drugs. However, they will consequently cause severe
accidents injuring themselves and others. Alcohol is a depressant so it affects
the brain’s many functions. Read the following ways alcohol impacts the brain
to better understand why drinking and driving is truly dangerous:
- Alcohol slows the brain’s functions so that drivers are unable to respond or react quickly to situations. Thus, many drivers are unable to prevent accidents.
- Alcohol reduces the driver’s judgment. Drivers incorrectly judge how fast they are moving or the distance between themselves and other cars and people.
- Alcohol gives drivers a false sense of confidence so they believe they are much better at driving than they really are. In addition, alcohol may influence drivers to take greater risks as well.
- Alcohol can make drivers sleepy because it is a depressant. As a result, drunk drivers will fall asleep at the wheel and cause an accident.
Driving under the influence is extremely unsafe as it greatly
impairs a driver’s ability to operate a vehicle in a safe manner.
Personal
Injury Lawsuit
If you or someone you know were recently injured due to a drunk driver, you should speak to a personal injury attorney today. You do not have
to suffer at the hands of a negligent driver. Contact a personal injury attorney in order to earn monetary compensation for any physical pain or
financial losses caused by the accident.
