Alpert Schreyer Personal Injury Lawyers | February 18, 2026 | Car Accident
Many people in Maryland ask a simple but risky question: Can I have just one drink and still be safe to drive? The honest answer is that even a single alcoholic beverage can affect judgment, reaction time, and coordination. What feels like a harmless choice can quickly turn into a dangerous situation for you, your passengers, and everyone else on the road.
This article explains why driving after any amount of alcohol is a bad idea. You will learn how alcohol affects the skills needed to operate a vehicle, the serious damages that can result from drunk driving accidents, and how a personal injury lawyer can help if you are injured by an impaired driver in a car accident.
Why “Just One Drink” Is Still a Risk
Alcohol affects every person differently. Body weight, metabolism, food intake, medications, and even fatigue can change how quickly alcohol impairs you. A drink that leaves one person feeling normal may leave another person unsafe to drive.
Maryland’s legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for most drivers is 0.08%. However, impairment can begin well before that number. In fact, driving ability can decline at very minimal BAC levels. The legal limit is not a safety guarantee. It is simply the point at which the law presumes a driver is too impaired to operate a vehicle.
The safest choice is always to avoid driving after drinking at all.
How Alcohol Affects Your Ability to Drive
Driving requires constant mental and physical coordination. Alcohol interferes with many of the skills needed to stay safe on Maryland roads.
Slower Reaction Time
Alcohol slows the brain’s ability to process information.
This means:
- Braking later when traffic stops
- Responding too slowly to pedestrians
- Missing sudden hazards like debris or animals
- Delayed steering corrections
Even a fraction of a second can determine whether a crash happens.
Poor Judgment and Risky Decisions
Alcohol lowers inhibitions and leads to overconfidence.
Drivers may:
- Speed without realizing it
- Follow other cars too closely
- Attempt unsafe lane changes
- Misjudge distances at intersections
These poor choices often cause devastating collisions.
Reduced Vision and Focus
Alcohol can:
- Blur vision
- Reduce peripheral awareness
- Make it harder to track moving objects
- Increase sensitivity to headlights at night
Maryland’s busy highways and narrow city streets demand full attention that alcohol simply takes away.
Loss of Coordination
Operating pedals and steering smoothly requires fine motor skills.
Alcohol weakens:
- Hand-eye coordination
- Balance
- The ability to stay in a lane
- Control during emergency maneuvers
A driver who feels “fine” may still lack the physical control needed to avoid a crash.
Damages That Can Result From a Drunk Driving Accident
Drunk driving crashes often cause some of the worst injuries seen on Maryland roads. Victims may suffer:
Economic Damages
Economic damages are measurable losses, such as:
- Emergency room and hospital bills
- Surgeries and rehabilitation
- Future medical treatment
- Lost wages and reduced earning ability
- Property damage and transportation costs
Recovering full economic damages is essential to ensure you are not left paying out of pocket for someone else’s reckless decision.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are subjective damages, including:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress and anxiety
- Loss of quality of life
- Scarring or permanent disability
Although these losses are harder to measure, non-economic damages recognize the very real physical pain and emotional suffering caused by a drunk driving crash.
Wrongful Death Damages
When a family loses a loved one, compensation may include:
- Funeral expenses
- Loss of financial support
- Loss of companionship, consortium, and guidance
Drunk driving does not only hurt the victim—it can harm entire families and communities.
How a Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help
Dealing with the aftermath of a drunk driving crash is overwhelming.
A personal injury lawyer can:
- Investigate the driver’s impairment
- Obtain police and toxicology records
- Identify all liable parties
- Calculate the full value of your losses
- Negotiate with insurance companies
- File a lawsuit if needed
Drunk driving accident victims often turn to a skilled personal injury lawyer to handle the complexities of the legal process.
Contact a Lanham Personal Injury Lawyer at Alpert Schreyer Personal Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Drunk driving accidents are entirely preventable. Understanding how even small amounts of alcohol affect driving can help prevent tragedy. If you or someone you love has been harmed by an impaired driver, you have legal rights to seek accountability and compensation.
Contact Alpert Schreyer Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation with a Lanham personal injury lawyer. Let us help you rebuild your life after someone else’s reckless decision.
We proudly serve Charles County, Prince George’s County, and its surrounding areas. Visit our law offices at:
Alpert Schreyer Personal Injury Lawyers – Waldorf Office
8 Post Office Rd Waldorf, MD 20602
(301) 932-9997
Available 24/7
Alpert Schreyer Personal Injury Lawyers – Lanham Office
4600 Forbes Blvd Ste #200 Lanham, MD 20706
(301) 936-0011
Available 24/7