Many people assume that have a single beer or glass of wine will not increase their chances of being involved in a drunk driving accident, but the facts are quite different – that is according to a recent study. Keep reading to find out what it shows and how this could affect the safety of drivers on the roads in Southern California.
More About the Research
The researchers work at the University of California San Diego and they found that even a tiny amount of alcohol could make a significant difference in how likely a person was to be involved in a car accident. They found that drivers with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of just .01 could increase the chance of an accident by as much as 46%. Consider that the legal limit in California is much higher at .08.
The Likelihood of an Accident Increases with Every Drink
Of course, this does not mean that a person who has had a single drink is as likely to be in an accident as a person who has had a six-pack of beer. However, the study showed that for each drink a person has, the chance of them causing a fatal car accident increases.
They determined this by looking at more than 570,000 fatal car accidents that happened between the years of 1994 and 2011. They looked at data found with the Fatality Analysis Reporting System that included the BAC of every driver involved in this type of car accident.
What Actions Should Be Taken as a Result of This Report?
The National Transportation Safety Board (NHTSA) believes that this new information should spurn changes to the legal BAC. While the BAC in all but the state of Idaho is .08, the NHTSA believes that the highest option should be .05. They point to other studies that show that a person with .08 percent BAC has a 169% higher chance of being in an accident than a person with zero alcohol – surely, they believe, the limit should be much lower than that.
Have You Been Affected by the Actions of a Drunk Driver?
If you have been involved and injured in an accident with a drunk driver, or you have lost a loved one in a drunk driving accident, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your damages. The best way to find out what your options are is to contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707. We can begin with a free legal consultation to let you know exactly how to proceed. Call now to get started right away.
