Alcohol Can Hamper Your Ability to Multitask While Driving

As if multitasking was not bad enough, it is a proven fact that drinking and driving can further reduce your ability to multitask. While we all may pat ourselves on the back for our ability to do many things at once, drinking and driving is inherently risky and sometimes fatal.

Why alcohol reduces multitasking abilities

The ability to multitask well depends on your brain’s ability to react to and process information. If your BAC levels are above 0.08 then you are legally within the “drunken” state. This means that your brain loses its ability to process information. The brain is one of the very first organs to pick up alcohol, because of its large concentration of blood. This is why you begin to experience blurring of vision, a slur in speech and a loss of judgment and reasoning. All of these skills are critical to safe driving. Added to this, if you are used to chatting on your cell phone or texting someone special, while driving, then the risk of an accident goes up manifold.

Missing out the big picture

When you drink too much, your peripheral vision gets affected. It is the same situation when you are multitasking while driving. So if you are busy talking to someone on the cell phone while driving your eyes will miss out on the little details on the road ahead. Combine multitasking and a high level of BAC and the result is a life-threatening situation!

Driving is no cakewalk!

Contrary to what people believe, driving requires a lot of brain power. Not only do you need to be alert and keep your eyes on the road, you also need to predict what other drivers are doing and how they will maneuver their own vehicles. It also involves a tremendous amount of muscular coordination such as being able to steer the wheels on time or apply brakes in a timely manner. If an alcohol test shows up alarming levels of BAC then it can signal danger. It is because your muscular coordination slows down, you are unable to judge situations correctly and your vision is affected.

Dividing attention: the things we multitask on

While driving we often talk on the cell phone, text or SMS someone or even look over a presentation to be given at the office! The more you overload your brain with varied tasks, the less likely you are to concentrate on the road while driving. This effect is doubled up as your BAC levels increase. If an alcohol testing shows up BAC levels of 0.20 you can expect to miss out on most things on the road, not to mention a sluggishness in response times.

Switching modes: more difficult with drinking

As your brain loses its ability to react in time to a situation, the ability to switch through modes also reduces. If a breath analyzer shows that you have higher than a 0.08 concentration of BAC it means you will forget to apply the brakes in time or find it difficult to realize the speed of the approaching vehicle.