Have you ever heard someone claim that they’re a good drunk driver?
Maybe you went out to the bar and someone asked them if they were safe to drive when they picked up their keys to go home. You had seen how much they had to drink and could not believe they thought it was a good idea.
Maybe you went to a party and all of you were talking about a similar party the weekend before. The “good” drunk driver brought it up as a way to brag about their abilities, saying they got home all right the week before and they want to try it again.
No matter how it happened, it probably stopped you in your tracks. A good drunk driver? Does that even exist?
All drunk driving is dangerous
There are no good drunk drivers. It’s always dangerous. Everyone is a worse driver after they consume alcohol. It does not matter what they think or how much they brag about their ability behind the wheel.
After all, we know how alcohol impacts the body. It is a depressant that slows down brain function and motor function. It makes it harder to take in information and react to it. You cannot argue that you are a good driver at that point. Alcohol makes driving harder and makes accidents more likely.
Why do people think they are good?
The reason people think they are good drunk drivers is probably just that they have not crashed yet. Maybe it was due to luck. Maybe they had near misses that they don’t even remember — even though someone else does.
Maybe they drove over the center line on an empty road, for instance. With no cars around, they didn’t cause an accident and laughed it off. That’s not talent. That’s not being a good driver. It’s just being fortunate.
The problem is that people often misinterpret their good fortune as skill. If they drive drunk all the time and do not crash, they assume they’re good at it. They do not think about how it’s going to catch up with them eventually. They do not think about how they may go months or even years without an accident, but all it takes is one time to change their life — and someone else’s life — forever.
Your options
As long as people take risks and assume they can drive drunk, they will cause accidents. If you get injured in one of these accidents, or if a loved one passes away, you need to know what options you have in Colorado.