Driving With a Hangover Is Not Better Than Drunk Driving

About 30 drunk driving victims die every day in Utah and elsewhere in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At that rate, all the NFL players would disappear in less than two months.

Imagine what it then means for public safety when two different studies seem to show that driving with a hangover might be more dangerous than drunk driving, per a report by ABC News. 

Unfortunately, only drunk driving is illegal in Utah and everywhere in the nation while there are no restrictions for driving with a hangover. Because of this, there are more “drunk” driving victims normally unaccounted for by studies. 

One of the studies took place in Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Dr. Joris Vester conducted the tests where he found that people driving with a hangover had trouble concentrating and staying alert. His results showed people had worse driving results when compared to the results of individuals who participated in studies testing the effects of drunk driving.

The other study by Professor Chris Alford from the University of the West of England showed that hungover drivers reacted slower to changes in traffic and driving became more erratic. 

Some may say that measuring how serious a person’s hangover is not possible, but Professor Alford suggests that there are some tests that can determine some of the hangover symptoms.

Most people in Utah and across the nation who drink know what a hangover is and they can normally identify when they have one. Hangovers happen as a result of the dramatic drop of alcohol levels in the body after consuming a considerable amount of alcohol, as explained by the Mayo Clinic.

When this happens, people suffering a hangover feel tired and weak. They feel thirsty and suffer from headaches and muscle pain. Many of them feel nauseous and end up vomiting. Some others experience difficulties sleeping and become more sensitive to light and sound changes. Shakiness, dizziness and similar symptoms are common during hangovers. As a result, people are less likely to have the capacity to concentrate and suffer from mood swings. 

As we consider the hangover symptoms, it’s not hard to imagine why people driving with a hangover become dangerous threats on the road that contribute to the already high numbers of drunk driving victims.

Society needs to start dealing with people driving with a hangover just like drunk driving. We owe it to all drunk driving victims. Perhaps, society will learn how to finally end drunk driving as well.

Esteban De Hoyos is a legal writer. Information provided by Robert J. Debry. He writes for Fusion 360, an advertising agency in Utah. 

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Created on Dec 31st 1969 18:00. Viewed 0 times.

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