A driver could still be drunk the day after drinking

You know that drunk drivers are a serious safety risk on New Mexico roads. You also know that the majority of drunk driving accidents take place at night or in the early morning hours.

In fact, statistics show that you face a greater risk of being injured by a drunk driver at night than during daylight hours. But don’t forget that a driver could still be impaired the next day, and this is why some drunk driving accidents occur during the morning commute.

Why does it happen?

The big reason this happens is that blood-alcohol concentration only declines at a rate of 0.015% per hour. This decline can vary slightly from one person to the next, but this is the general rate that is expected for most people.

The assumption that a lot of people make is that once they have gone to sleep and woken up the next morning, they’re no longer impaired. They believe that all the alcohol has gotten out of their system.

But the reality is that it can take many hours for a person to sober up. If someone was well over the legal limit the night before, they are probably not going to be at 0.00% the following morning, at least not as soon as they wake up.

If you do get hit by a drunk driver at any time and you suffer serious injuries, be sure you know how to seek financial compensation for your medical bills and other costs resulting from the crash. Please see our Car Accident Overview to learn more.