It used to be called a DWI – Driving While Intoxicated; later, it became known as DUI – Driving Under the Influence. Whatever acronym your state uses, it means you are not driving at or with your full mental capacity. Some thing has impaired the way you are driving. It has diminished your ability, made it “worse, weaker, less or damaged;” that’s according to our friend Webster. Simply put, behind the wheel, you are unable to operate your car in a manner deemed safe.
That’s pretty easy to understand, in concept. In practice, however, is the real confusion. So many individuals who are impaired in some way – too much alcohol, ingestion of prescription or non-prescription drugs – will insist that they are “perfectly fine.” Unfortunately, it only takes a split second for an accident to occur; if your reaction times are delayed by even a split second because of your impairment… BAM!
But there are other impairments that you should consider, including your emotional state and physical limitations. Someone who is enraged after an argument, or saddened or grieving over some distressing news is not emotionally equipped to drive. From a physical standpoint, many things can impair your ability to safely drive – exhaustion, poor eyesight, low blood sugar, injury to a limb. These emotional and physical limitations fall into a gray area – while it’s not illegal to drive under these conditions, is it socially responsible of you to do so? Remember, you have an obligation to everyone, not just yourself, to drive safely.
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