Researchers at the University of California at San Diego have been busy lately, studying the facts and trying to keep the roads safer for everyone across the country. Everyone knows that drunk driving is a serious problem in the United States, which is why there are tough laws against people who drive with a blood-alcohol content of .08 percent or more.
But according to this new study, people who drive with even less alcohol in their system can be dangerous as well, even at extremely low levels. The study results showed that people with even a minute amount of alcohol were 46 percent more likely to cause a car accident than those with no alcohol in their blood. Researchers have concluded that there is no safe amount of alcohol when it comes to driving. Even “buzzed drivers pose a significant risk to everyone on the road.
In order to break DUI laws, a drunk driver must have the magic BAC number of .08, but most people don’t realize that a person who causes a wreck with a lesser amount of alcohol in their system can still face serious civil liability if their conduct is reckless or negligent. People who are injured in a car accident caused by a drunk driver don’t necessarily have to prove that the driver broke the law, they just need to prove that the offender’s unreasonable conduct or lack of safety caused their injuries.
According to this study, having any alcohol in a person’s system is dangerous, and could be grounds for civil liability. These “buzzed” drivers should be held accountable for the damage and injuries they cause.
Source: The Huffington Post “Driving ‘Buzzed’: BAC As Low As 0.01% Still Raises Fatal Car Crash Risk,” Jan. 25, 2014
