Written by: Emily Joswiak • January 16, 2024• Auto Safety

Things That Can Impact Your Ability To Drive Safely

If you’re committed to being a responsible driver, it’s essential to know the factors that affect your driving ability and how to prevent their influences.

Even if you consider yourself the world’s best driver, certain things can get in your way and prevent you from driving safely. Don’t risk an accident on the road—get to know these four things that can impact your ability to drive safely and how to steer clear of them.

Alcohol Consumption

Consuming alcohol can cause unpleasant side effects, such as impaired vision, slowed reflexes, and poor judgment. These side effects aren’t ones you want to deal with while operating a hunk of speeding metal on a busy highway. Being drunk while driving puts both you and the drivers around you at risk of an accident.

While even a small amount of alcohol can impair your judgment, most states have laws asserting it’s safe to drive as long as you keep your BAC (blood alcohol content) under .08 percent. Knowing how many drinks .08 percent is based on your gender, weight, and what you’re drinking can help you stay under this limit.

The Meds You Take

Certain medications, like opioid pain relievers, antidepressants, and anti-seizure drugs, cause side effects that impair your judgment, coordination, and reaction time. Typically, medications that can affect your ability to drive will feature a warning label on the packet or bottle. This label tells you to use caution while driving—or avoid driving at all—while taking that particular medication.

Phone Usage

Phones are a common source of distraction while driving. It might be tempting to read your texts or scroll through TikTok while waiting at a red light or cruising down a relatively empty stretch of road, but you must resist the urge.

It’s important to keep your attention on the road at all times because accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. If you’re glued to your phone, you may not notice the person about to speed through a red light, or the person trying to merge into your lane without checking—and the results of this could be disastrous.

Tiredness

Did you know that driving tired is just as bad—if not worse—than driving while inebriated? When you’re tired, it’s harder to pay attention to the road. Your reaction time will be slower, and you’ll struggle to make sound decisions on the fly. In a worst-case scenario, you may even doze off with your foot on the pedal, which is a recipe for disaster.

If you ever feel drowsy while on the road, pull into the nearest parking area and take a short snooze. Or, if you’re with other people of driving age, ask one of them to take over as driver.

All of these factors can impact your ability to drive safely, so it’s important to be aware of them. Remember, driving is a responsibility that should not be taken lightly. Always make sure you’re in a proper state to drive before getting behind the wheel, and if you feel like you shouldn’t, don’t hesitate to ask for help or take a break.

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Last modified: January 16, 2024