While you and all other licensed drivers in your Delaware household no doubt try to be safe drivers who always adhere to traffic laws, there’s nothing you can do about another driver’s decisions and actions behind the wheel.
You might be driving along in an uneventful trip to the grocery store or to work one minute and wind up lying in the back of an ambulance a short while later, if a drunk driver is nearby and causes a collision.
Alcohol affects every individual differently
Perhaps you consider yourself an occasional drinker who enjoys having a glass of wine or beer once in a while. If you know you’re going to be driving, it’s always best to abstain from alcohol because it’s the easiest way to avoid drunk driving.
The legal limit for driving in Delaware after consuming alcohol is a .08 blood alcohol level. The problem is that you can’t look at another driver and determine his or her blood alcohol content level. The amount of alcohol it takes to cause intoxication in one person might be different from another.
Many drivers experience similar effects if they’re drunk
Even before your blood alcohol level reaches .08, your reflexes might begin to slow because of the effect the alcohol is having on your brain. If you’re driving along a Delaware highway and a nearby driver’s reflexes are slowed because of alcohol consumption, he or she might not react safely and quickly enough to avoid a collision if his or her vehicle veers into your lane, or you come to a stop at a light and the other driver behind you fails to apply his or her brakes.
A drunk driver might also have trouble with coordination, such as using the proper turn signal when navigating a turn. His or her vision might be blurred, and he or she might become drowsy at the wheel. Any of these issues can place you in great danger if you’re sharing the road with someone who has been drinking.
Criminal charges often occur after drunk driving collisions
If a drunk driver hits you and you suffer injuries, it’s possible that police would respond to the scene and place the driver under arrest. Blood tests and other evidence would determine whether prosecutors would file criminal charges against the driver.
When you suffer economic, physical or emotional damages because of another driver’s negligence, you shouldn’t have to bear full financial responsibility for the expenses associated with the incident, such as medical bills or lost wages if you have to take time off work to recover. Many recovering victims seek restitution by filing injury claims in civil court.