Buzzed driving increases risk of car accident

The dangers of drunk driving are well-known in the United States, but drivers may need to start considering the risks of getting behind the wheel when they feel buzzed too. A new study found that buzzed driving increases the risk of a fatal car accident.

Researchers at the University of California at San Diego reported that having a blood alcohol content of just 0.01 percent increased the risk of causing a car accident by 46 percent compared to a sober driver. They said that buzzed driving increases the chances of being solely responsible for a car accident compared to sober drivers involved in the same crash.

The finding that buzzed driving increases the risk of causing a car accident is disturbing, especially since the legal limit in California and throughout the country is 0.08 percent. The researchers said that drinking and driving is dangerous, regardless of the amount of alcohol a person consumes.

It appears that driving with even a little bit of alcohol in your system increases the risk of getting into a car accident. This finding shows that getting behind the wheel when you are buzzed is risky. Safety groups and legislators should take this study into consideration when discussing awareness efforts and campaigns to prevent drunk driving because buzzed driving is also very dangerous and causes many car accidents every year.

This study may surprise some drivers as many people think they are safe to get behind the wheel after having a drink or two. However, if the driver feels “buzzed,” they shouldn’t drive because they have a higher risk of causing a crash.

The dangers of buzzed driving may take a while to be recognized by the public, but hopefully safety groups will try to raise awareness to the dangers of buzzed driving to prevent car accidents in the future.