Imagine spending a great evening meeting up with friends at a bar. After a few drinks, you plan to leave and zoom….there goes your speedily hitting off the limits. You feel fantastic, right?
Speed thrills and the euphoria of alcohol… a perfect combination! Yet, a lethal one. Do you know almost 28 people lose life every day due to drunk driving?
While we all know the legal limit for alcohol is 0.08%, what about staying under the limit? Getting a couple of beers keeps you within the safety bar, but is it okay to drive under the influence? Truly, not!
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 2,000 people lost their lives in 2021 due to alcohol-related traffic accidents in which the driver had a BAC between 0.01-0.07%.
What is Buzzed Driving?
In such a scenario, technically, you’re not a drunk driver; however, your physical and mental capabilities are impaired due to substance use. This is called Buzzed Driving.
Nobody would intentionally want to jump off the cliff (unless suicidal). Even you wouldn’t, right? So why put other people’s lives at risk by drinking and driving?
Contrary to popular belief, buzz driving isn’t any safer than drunk driving; first, because you don’t know the amount of intoxication in your blood.
The buzz-driving victims feel the same pain and grief a drunk driver causes. For them, the losses are equal.
Buzzed Driving Is Considered Drunk Driving
Due to low consumption levels, people often tag buzzed driving differently, however, do you know there aren’t any legal differences between drunk or buzzed driving? You get charged or penalized for the impairment (not the intoxication level) alcohol causes.
According to the New Haven car accident attorneys at Weber & Rubabo, there is no way to differentiate between buzz and drunk driving except for the BAC value. For example, if your BAC is within 0.08%, however, you have exceeded the speed limit or caused an accident, you will face legal issues.
If your BAC is as low as 0.01% and you’re driving, that means you’re under the influence of alcohol. With more than 570,000 fatal accidents, researchers and road safety officers are concerned about the potential risks of buzzed drivers.
You wouldn’t want to lose your life after having a good time with friends at the bar. So it is better to be safe than sorry! Hail a cab and ensure that the driver hasn’t had a drop of alcohol before hitting the wheels.
Common Misconceptions about Buzzed Driving
Since you’re within the BAC limit, buzz driving is often considered safe and legal. However, it is far from truth.
Buzzed driving is neither safe nor legal. It still comes under the violation of drunk driving as the alcohol content negatively impacts your driving skills.
States like Colorado prohibit buzzed driving when your BAC is 0.05% or above.
Recent studies and stats pinpoint towards the fact that even a minute level of alcohol in your blood can impair your vision, focus, judgment, and reflexes—all mandatory for safe driving.
While staying under the legal limit might seem safer, buzzed driving, with a BAC below 0.08%, is still risky. It impairs your abilities and can cause accidents. Don’t be misled by the idea that it’s safer or legal—buzzed driving is essentially considered drunk driving. Various states, like Colorado, prohibit it at certain BAC levels. Research shows even a small amount of alcohol affects crucial driving skills. To ensure safety, it’s best to avoid driving under the influence, regardless of BAC. Choose responsible options like taking a cab or having a sober driver to make sure every journey ends safely.
