Many drinkers in Seattle may think that having a couple beers, glasses of wine or cocktails is no big deal and may feel confident in their ability to drive home afterwards. However, having just two drinks can impair a person’s driving, leading to a drunk driving accident.
A person who has approximately two alcoholic drinks will have a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.02%. This is well below the legal limit of 0.08%. However, a person can still experience some loss of judgment if their BAC is 0.02%, making it difficult to react to unanticipated driving situations. They may experience a decline in visual functions, meaning they may not be aware of other drivers in their vicinity. They can even experience a decline in their ability to perform more than one task at a time, a skill that is necessary when driving.
It is easy to see, therefore, how consuming even two drinks can lead to a car accident. Impaired driving generally violates a motorist’s duty to drive safely under the circumstances. If an impaired motorist causes a car crash that injures or kills another person, the victim or their family may want to pursue a personal injury claim.
Many people in Washington believe they are responsible when it comes to alcohol. They may not understand, however, that it doesn’t take much alcohol to diminish their ability to drive safely. This puts all other motorists on the road at risk. Those who have been injured in collisions caused by impaired drivers may want to determine how they can be compensated for the damages they suffered.