We all make bad choices and occasionally believe myths that end up harming us. If you are a driver, however, misinformation and poor judgment can kill you. Do you ever find yourself thinking:
1) “One drink won’t hurt me.” Many drivers have an idea of how many drinks they can have before they are legally over the limit. Unfortunately, many things can affect your ability to metabolize alcohol. Fatigue, weight loss, illness, and medication, to name just a few factors, can exacerbate the effects of even one drink and can lead you to an accident and a drunk driving charge in Hollywood. In many cases, drivers intend to have only one drink but end up losing count of how much alcohol they have consumed, so they end up driving drunk. If you plan on drinking at all, find a safe route home.
2) “Inebriated driving means drunk driving.” There are many things that can affect your driving. Illegal substances, such as marijuana, can affect driving ability, as can over-the-counter and prescribed medications. Anything that affects your judgment, fatigue levels, or mobility can result in a car or truck accident in Hollywood or your city. With something as important as driving, it is best to err on the side of caution.
3) “It’s just a second.” Many drivers overestimate their driving ability and think that they can remove their eyes from the road just briefly to check a text message, change a radio station, or do something else. Studies have shown that a car can travel the length of a football field in the amount of time it takes to check a message or do other simple things, and that’s enough time to cause a pedestrian accident in Hollywood or your community. In a car, it only takes a second to cause a fatal collision.
4) “I have to do this.” Many people overestimate the importance of a phone call, text message, or their own to-do list. It is unlikely that whoever is on the other line can’t wait a few minutes until you find somewhere to park. When you are driving the only thing you “have” to do is drive safely and keep your full focus on the road and your driving. Failure to so can lead to a terrible traffic collision in Hollywood or your community.
5) “Distracted driving means texting and driving.” Great efforts have been made in recent years to show the dangers of using mobile devices while driving. While it is true that texting and using mobile devices is dangerous, focus on that can obscure the fact that any distraction can be deadly behind the wheel. Whether it’s changing a CD, playing with the radio, listening intently to an audio book, arguing with a passenger, checking out the scenery or even daydreaming, anything that distracts you can kill you on the road because it can lead to a car accident.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a car accident, schedule a no cost, no obligation consultation with the Flaxman Law Group today. Your free accident consultation is your chance to ask questions and get answers from a team of attorneys who have more than 60 years combined experience and have secured more than $35 million on behalf of thousands of clients in Hollywood and South Florida.