The numerous public safety initiatives and law enforcement crackdowns show the seriousness of drunk driving. Floridians know that it is a crime to drive drunk, yet they continue to do so at an unrelenting rate. This puts far too many innocent motorists in harm's way.
This is because alcohol has a profound effect on an individual's ability to drive safely. To start, alcohol impairs one's judgment, meaning that one's brain may not be able to rely on its experience to quickly make decisions. Alcohol can also affect a driver's vision. It doesn't take much alcohol intake for an individual's vision to become blurred or doubled. This can make it difficult to perceive slowed or stopped traffic, or people crossing the street, and one's reaction time can be delayed. It may also cause a driver to swerve into oncoming traffic or veer off the road.
Even though those are major safety concerns, they are not the only ones posed by drunk driving. The color distinction can be diminished, which can affect the ability to discern street signs and traffic signals. This can make it easier for a driver to run a stop sign or red light, as well as drive the wrong way.
An unacceptable number of people are killed in drunk driving crashes each year. Those who are injured in these accidents, as well as the surviving families of those who are killed in them, can face enormous losses that are physical, emotional, and financial in nature. While criminal charges may help provide some sort of justice, only a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit can lead to the recovery of much-needed compensation and a true sense of closure. If successful in one of these claims, a victim or his or her family may be able to recover money for damages such as medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, lost wages and noneconomic damages like pain and suffering and disfigurement.
