Your life would no doubt become suddenly inconvenient if you were forced to function for an extended period of time without driving or traveling in a motor vehicle. While it might be possible to do so, chances are you'd rather have your car or motorcycle at your full disposal on a daily basis. There are downsides, however, to traveling by motor vehicle. For instance, you have to pay for gasoline and find somewhere to park.
There are worse things about driving in Tennessee as well. You may, in fact, be at great risk for serious injury if a distracted or drunk driver is nearby. It's never pleasant to think of such possibilities, but it pays to know where to seek support ahead of time if another person hits you and causes you injury.
Why intoxication often causes a collision
If you know what to look for on the road regarding signs of drunk driving, you increase your chances of safely arriving at your destination on a motorcycle or in your car. The following list shows numerous types of impairment that occur if a person drives while intoxicated:
- A drunk driver's cognitive skills may be severely limited. This causes difficulty with tracking, meaning he or she might have trouble gauging distance, judging vehicle positions, locating road lines and other issues.
- When you operate a motorcycle or drive a car, you must stay alert, as avoiding collision often requires quick thinking and swift reaction time. Driver intoxication greatly impairs reaction ability, often causing those affected to have slow movements and thought processes.
- Drunk people often have trouble seeing clearly. This is because alcohol impairment can affect eye muscles, which, in turn, causes movement and perception problems.
- Do you get tired when you've had a couple of drinks? It's not uncommon for intoxicated drivers to get drowsy at the wheel.
- Intoxication reduces the ability to make rational decisions, which is evident by the fact that anyone would choose to get drunk then drive a car.
Lack of coordination is another common impairment problem that occurs when a person has consumed alcohol. That's why police try to get drivers suspected of drunk driving to take field sobriety tests so they can check physical coordination and cognitive abilities on the spot.
Avoiding collision isn't always possible
You might know all the signs of drunk driving and even be alert and ready to react behind the wheel or on a motorcycle, but you still may be unable to escape a collision. If there's a lot of traffic around you and you notice a vehicle nearby veering out of its lane, things might happen so quickly that you can't reach safely enough to avoid a crash.
This is why Tennessee law allows accident victims to seek financial recovery for their losses in court. If a drunk driver causes you injury, there's no reason you should carry the full burden of expenses that might be associated with your injuries.