What Are the Three Most Dangerous Driving Impairments and How to Avoid Them?

Driving takes full attention and control in order to ensure the safety of everyone on the roadway. Certain impairments can greatly diminish the ability to react and make good decisions. 

Alcohol consumption, fatigue, and distracted driving are among the most serious. The national toll from the three most dangerous driving impairment account for a significant percentage of crashes and deaths.

Here they are!

1.Alcohol Impairment

Alcohol affects processing time, decision-making, and motor functions, which are three requirements for safe driving. Even low blood alcohol levels can inhibit a driver's ability to estimate spaces, obstacles, and react quickly.

According to the NHTSA, alcohol influenced drivers were involved in nearly 31% of all traffic fatalities reported in 2021. Alcohol impairment is one of the most lethal contributing factors to road traffic death. 

Alcohol is a depressant affecting vision, judgment, and motor skills. Alcohol slows a driver's ability to react to unforeseen stops, pedestrians, and other activities on public roadways.

Although states have different laws regarding blood alcohol limits, alcohol will, in any amount, impair a driver's performance. Drinking and driving was, or is, not a good mix. If you even plan on drinking, avoid driving altogether.

2.Fatigue and Drowsy Driving

Fatigue can also be a serious hazard, and many drivers do not realize the consequences of driving while tired. Fatigued drivers experience impaired speed in reaction time and are inattentive to their environment. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowsy driving accounts for thousands of crashes per year, many of which are deadly. Drivers, while fatigued, can nod off for split seconds or experience "microsleeps" without even being aware that their eyes are closed. 

Those split seconds of lost awareness can be catastrophic. Fatigue also affects decision-making, and we are far more likely to drift out of the lane when sleep-deprived.

3.Distracted Driving

Distracted drivers are those drivers who are not paying attention to the operation of their vehicles. Distracted driving can be talking on a mobile device, eating, changing the radio station, or talking to another passenger.

According to the NHTSA in 2022, crashes involving distracted drivers resulted in 3,308 fatalities and an estimated 289,310 injuries. Since distracted driving is when drivers are not paying attention, all distractions increase a driver's crash risk. 

The driver may miss traffic signals, road hazards, other people, and other dangers, all because of distractions in their environment while they drive. Knowing this, taking your eyes off the road for only 2 to 3 seconds can suffice for missing something huge to your movement or direction.

How to Keep Yourself and Others Safe While Driving

Reducing our exposure to these impairments includes disciplined routines every time we get behind the wheel. Here's how:

• Never drive a motor vehicle after consuming alcohol or taking medications that are going to make you drowsy; avoid all impairments and distractions if at all possible.

• Rest well and never take long trips if you are fatigued; avoid night driving, drive well rested, and learn about your sleep patterns.

• Limit distractions; all devices put away; do not take your hands or eyes off driving.

Key Points

• Alcohol is substantially the most dangerous impairment for drivers and limits decision-making, slows reaction time, which contributes to nearly one-third of all traffic fatalities.

• Fatigue equals lapses in attention and possible micro-sleeping that leads to catastrophic crashes.

• Distraction, specifically mobile devices, becomes a vehicle focus distraction that limits a driver's crash risk to the environment to operate the vehicle.

• Prevent accidents by avoiding alcohol before driving; getting enough sleep/rest before driving; and limiting distractions.

• Always consider safe transportation choices whenever driving.