Can I Have Just One Drink and Be Safe to Drive?
While you might be aware of the dangers of driving while blatantly drunk, you might wonder whether you can drive after a single drink. You might be wondering, “Can you drive after one beer?”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), thousands of people die yearly in drunk driving accidents in the United States. On average, one person is killed every 42 minutes in one of these devastating car accidents.
Continue reading to learn more about the law and the dangers associated with driving after drinking, even at a small amount.
What Is the Legal Drink and Drive Limit in South Carolina?
In South Carolina, you can be charged with driving under the influence (DUI) if your faculties to drive a motor vehicle are “materially and appreciable impaired” due to alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both. If your blood alcohol content was 0.08 percent or more, the law infers you were driving under the influence, though you can still be charged at a lower rate.
If you are convicted of DUI, you can face jail time, fines, and other criminal penalties.
How Does Alcohol Affect Driving Ability?
The NHTSA explains that a typical person might experience the following symptoms based on how much alcohol they’ve consumed:
- BAC of .02% (one drink): There is a decline in visual functions and your ability to perform two tasks simultaneously. You may experience some loss of judgment and altered mood.
- BAC of .05% (two drinks): You may have reduced coordination, ability to track moving objects, and response to emergency driving situations. Your reaction times may be slowed, and you may experience loss of small-muscle control, impaired judgment, and lowered alertness.
- BAC of .08% (three or four drinks): Your concentration, short-term memory, speed control, and information processing are impaired. It is harder for you to detect danger. Your reasoning is also impaired.
- BAC of .10% (five to six drinks): Your reaction times and control are deteriorated. You have poor coordination and slowed thinking. You may be unable to maintain your lane position and brake appropriately.
- BAC of .15% (six or more drinks): You are substantially impaired. You have far less muscle control than usual. You may have a significant loss of balance.
These are just estimates based on the average person. A person’s experience may differ based on their sex, weight, food consumption, tolerance to alcohol, and other factors.
So, Can You Have One Drink and Drive in South Carolina?
Legally, you might be able to have one drink and then drive without worrying about being charged with driving under the influence. However, even if you are not above the legal alcohol limit, there can still be dangers of driving after a single drink.
How Can Drinking and Driving Affect a Car Accident Claim
Even small amounts of alcohol can increase the risk of being involved in an accident. If you have one drink and are involved in an accident, the other driver might try to blame you for the crash, even if they were negligent. If you are found to have contributed to the accident, your damages could be reduced by your degree of fault.
On the other hand, if the other driver was drinking and driving, it could potentially open avenues to even more compensation for your personal injury claim. Punitive damages are reserved for rare cases involving egregious behavior that the courts want to use as an example to deter similar conduct in the future.
Contact The York Car Accident Lawyers At Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys For Help Today
At Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys, we seek compensation and justice for those who were injured due to the careless actions of others. Contact our York car accident lawyers today for a free consultation to discuss your legal rights and options.
For more information, please contact our car accident lawyers in South Carolina and North Carolina at Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys to schedule a free consultation today.
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