How Alcohol Affects Your Mind and Body

Alcohol has extremely negative impacts on the brain, which is why drinking and driving, simply do not go hand in hand. By consuming alcohol and driving, drivers are putting themselves, passengers and other motorists at great risks. Every year thousands of deaths are caused by drivers with high levels of Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) yet individuals continue to get behind the wheel after drinking alcohol.  2011 statistics show that 32% of automobile related deaths involve alcohol.  Specifically, approximately one in every three deaths was alcohol related.

HOW ALCOHOL AFFECTS DRIVING

Alcohol is a depressant drug, meaning it reduces the activity of the central nervous system, which includes the brain. Brain function is slowed down considerably and most easy tasks become difficult. Because signals from the brain to muscles deteriorate after alcohol consumption, the user experiences a loss of motor skills, and the impairment vision, judgment, confidence and emotions.

AFFECTS

There does not need to be a high level of BAC for driving skills to be affected. Alcohol affects your driving skills by:

Reducing reaction time - During the time alcohol is present in driver's system, the central nervous system slows down, processes slowly and reaction time is greatly reduced. Having a slow reaction time is the difference between braking in a crucial moment and crashing.

Difficulty multitasking - Drivers are unable to concentrate on several things at once, such as looking in the mirror to make a lane change while keeping in the current lane they are in.  They also tend to ignore their peripheral vision as they focus intensely on the road in front of them.  This causes the driver to ignore how other cars on the road are driving, or what is happening in other lanes.

Drowsiness – Alcohol consumption contributes to feeling drowsy and relaxed at the wheel.  Drivers under the influence often fall asleep and veer off the road or crash.

Impaired vision – Alcohol narrows the field of vision.  Drunk drivers have an increased chance of being susceptible to glare and have more difficulty picking out and differentiating colors. 

Over confidence - After drinking, false feelings of confidence are created. This makes the person take risks that they normally wouldn't while driving.  Examples of this are driving too fast or quickly changing from one lane to the next without warning to other drivers.

Disobeying rules - Most rules and responsibilities as a driver are forgotten while having alcohol in the system. Drivers may forget to use indicator, turn where they are not supposed to, and ignore speed limits.

There are many different ways of approaching the problem of drunk driving. The most common is to limit drinking or abstain from driving at all while having alcohol in the system.  If the individual must drink, then choosing a designated driver who does not drink any alcohol during the course of the evening is highly suggested.

If you have been convicted of a DUI, the court will mandate an alcohol and drug awareness class.  This is generally combined with community service work, paying a great deal in fines, and sometimes the suspension of your license.  Check with your court system to see if you can take these classes online.  With court approval, you will find online classes extremely convenient as they can be taken from any Internet based computer in your home, office, of local coffee house.  A quality course will include all the same information that is taught in a traditional classroom, but will be available to you any time of the day or night with the simple click of a button. 

Why Take A DUI Class Online Instead Of A Classroom?

Have you been caught drunk driving and ordered to take DUI classes? Instead of the hassle of getting to a classroom across town during rush hour traffic, you might find great benefit in taking the classes online with your court’s approval.

Convenience

When you take DUI classes online, you can do it in the convenience of your home. This way you will not have to get a ride or spend money on driving to a bricks and mortar building. Or, have to leave work or school or rush through traffic or bad weather to get to classes at fixed times. Many online classes are very flexible in terms of time.

Avoid the Embarrassment

As they say, everyone makes mistakes. The sad fact is that when someone reputable makes a mistake, it is blown out of proportion; especially if you are a public figure such as a pastor or a motivational speaker. Therefore, in case you are a highly recognizable person and end up getting slapped with a DUI charge, you can avoid publicity and embarrassing glances in class by taking DUI classes online.

Quality

The fact that you are taking these classes online does not mean that there will be any compromise with quality. Just make sure that you choose the providers wisely so that you can get top-notch, quality education. Don’t just trust that they are experts, but research the director’s background to make sure he is a licensed and practicing therapist.  One of the most important things that you will need to do is to make sure that your provider is accredited and has a high BBB rating.  Most of these classes give you a certificate upon completion that can be admissible in court to show that you have taken a significant step in making amends.  Check with your court prior to enrolling in the class to make sure they will accept it.

They Are Reform Oriented

Driving under the influence is not a small matter. It is a very serious situation that can lead to serious accidents and sometimes loss of lives. Therefore, to curb this vice once and for all, the best solution needs to be reform oriented. Online classes are taught to make the offenders feel like instead of just being punished for their wrongdoings, they are being helped to overcome their weakness once and for all. The fact that the classes are taken discreetly help to ensure that the offenders feel like their privacy is well taken care of.

Cost Saving

The convenience of taking these classes online also comes with its cost benefits.  You will not have to spend any money on gas or parking.   Additionally, the time that you would have taken moving from one place to another can be used to do something more productive that will earn you more money. For example, there will be no need for you to cancel business trips since the classes are not location dependent. As long as you are in a place that has Internet connection, you can still continue taking your DUI classes online.