Individuals feel relaxed, have changes in mood, experience some loss in judgment and feel slightly warm when their blood alcohol concentration reaches .02 percent. This affects their driving performance by reducing the ability to track moving objects and do two tasks simultaneously. When their BAC reaches .05 percent, individuals usually feel good, exhibit exaggerated behavior, lose control of small muscles, experience reduced alertness, become less shy and have impaired judgment. The effects of this on driving include difficulty steering as well as reduced coordination, response to emergency situations and ability to track moving objects.
Individuals with a BAC of .08 percent experience poor muscle coordination, trouble detecting danger, and impaired self-control, judgment, memory and reasoning. This affects their ability to concentrate and control driving speeds as well as impairs their perception, reduces their ability to process information and results in short-term memory loss.
The typical effects of a BAC of .10 percent include slurred speech, slow thinking, poor coordination and a clear deterioration of control and reaction time. This reduces the ability of individuals to stay in a lane and appropriately apply the brakes. Individuals may vomit, significantly lose balance and have major loss of muscle control when their BAC reaches .15 percent. This has substantial effects on their driving abilities, including the impairment of vehicle control, the processing of necessary auditory and visual information, and concentration on driving.
When people become injured as a result of the drunk driving of another, they may wish to obtain the assistance of an attorney in order to pursue compensation for the losses they have sustained. Damages that are often sought in such a personal injury action can include the costs of all necessary medical care and treatment.
