The Five Kinds of Driver Impairment

Most car accidents aren’t “accidents.” Driver error causes over 98 percent of the vehicle collisions in Texas. Sometimes, this driver error is speeding, turning illegally, or another form of aggressive driving. Generally, however, driver error includes driver impairment. Arguably, these tortfeasors (negligent drivers) know they shouldn’t get behind the wheel, but they do so anyway, and intentionally put other people at risk.

Because of this background, a Sugar Land car accident lawyer can usually obtain substantial compensation in driver impairment-related crashes. This compensation usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering. Additional punitive damages are frequently available in these matters as well, especially in extreme cases.

Medical Condition

The coronavirus pandemic moved what was once the most obscure form of driver impairment to the top of the list.

Colds, flus, and other moderate illnesses with symptoms like coughing, sneezing, trouble breathing, and watery eyes reduce driving ability by as much as 50 percent. People who are dealing with such symptoms simply cannot safely operate motor vehicles and other heavy machinery.

This sub-form of driver impairment often overlaps with other forms of driver impairment, specifically substance use. Many cold and flu medicines and vaccines have unpleasant side-effects, such as drowsiness, that further limit driving capacity.

A serious medical condition, like heart disease, is impairing as well, but not just because of the everyday symptoms. These illnesses could cause a sudden and unexpected loss-of-control collision, because the driver could pass out behind the wheel.

Alcohol

The coronavirus pandemic also affected alcohol impairment. Drunk driving instances shot up during the pandemic, and many drivers still haven’t broken this bad habit.

Alcohol impairs motor skills and clouds judgment. These effects might be pleasant when a person is alone at home or at a party. But when behind the wheel, these effects are often deadly. Furthermore, these impairing effects usually begin after the first sip of alcohol.

Alcohol-related wrecks are legally complex, mostly because they often involve third party liability. In Texas, a Missouri City personal injury lawyer can hold a bar, restaurant, or other commercial provider financially responsible for damages if it over-served a customer who later caused a car crash.

Fatigue

Most people don’t equate drunkenness with drowsiness, but the effects on the body and brain are almost identical. Like alcohol use, fatigue clouds judgment and impairs motor skills. In fact, driving after eighteen consecutive awake hours is like driving with a .05 BAC level. That’s above the legal limit for many drivers in Texas.

Alcohol use and fatigue have something else in common as well. There’s no quick fix for either kind of impairment. Only time solves alcohol impairment, and only sleep solves fatigue. Drinking coffee, blasting the radio, and other shortcuts don’t address the underlying effects of fatigue. They just make drivers feel more alert for a short period of time.

Drugs

We mentioned over-the-counter drugs above. In most cases, these drugs are legal to take. However, it’s always dangerous to drive under the influence of these substances. Drivers are well aware of this restriction, and they ignore it.

Marijuana is the most common driver impairment-related drug. The effects of alcohol build over time. But the impairing effects of marijuana hit users like a ton of bricks at the first puff. Even after they feel sober, the impairing effects continue.

Distraction

Hand-held devices combine all three kinds of driver impairment. These gadgets are visually impairing (eyes off the road), manually impairing (hand off the wheel), and cognitively impairing (mind off driving).

Hands-free devices may be even more hazardous. They give many drivers a false sense of security. Furthermore, these gadgets are visually and cognitively impairing.

Other sources of driver distraction, which are much more common than device distraction, include eating while driving, drinking while driving, and talking to passengers while driving.

Work With a Compassionate Fort Bend County Attorney

Injury victims are entitled to significant compensation. For a confidential consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney in Missouri City, contact the Henrietta Ezeoke Law Firm. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we start working for you.

Source:

drivethru.gsa.gov/DRIVERSAFETY/DistractedDrivingPosterA.pdf