There are many affairs to which libations are a welcome addition. Parties, watching sports with friends, and holiday specialties are just a few. But the list of things that don’t go well with alcohol is even longer. Almost every such list would position driving a motor vehicle right at the top.
Thanks to the efforts of organizations like MADD, we have an incredibly high awareness of the dangers associated with drunk driving. We know that we shouldn’t do it. And we are even aware of the heavy social penalty to be paid for causing an accident in that condition. That’s what makes this statement from the CDC so shocking:
In 2012, over 1.3 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. That’s one percent of the 121 million self-reported episodes of alcohol-impaired driving among U.S. adults each year.
Despite knowing better, the equivalent of more than a third of the population admits to driving under the influence. It is not alarmist to say that this is a problem of epidemic proportions. The question is, why? What exactly is the psychology behind drunk driving? While not an exhaustive answer, here are a few clues:
They Do Not Grasp the Full Legal Implications
There are some things we do because we don’t know they are illegal. And other things because, though illegal, we don’t realize the full legal implications if caught. Everyone knows drunk driving is illegal. Then again, so is J-walking. No one goes to prison for J-walking. How severe could the penalties for drinking and driving really be?
Law firms will gladly enlighten you if you cause one of their clients injury while driving under the influence. They take the matter very seriously. And they make sure their clients are compensated with the maximum award the law allows for such claims.
You may be subject to civil and criminal charges. Expect to be fined up to $2,000, receive jail time, and have your license revoked. You may receive all or some of these penalties in varying degrees. Failure to fully grasp the seriousness of the crime leads some to flout the law with casual indifference.
They Don’t Know When They’re Drunk
The “Drink Responsibly” ads and television shows depict people of class and refinement asking the bartender to call them a taxi or refusing another drink because they have to drive home. This image of responsibility and self-awareness is brought to you by Hollywood. In the real dives and watering holes across America, people are gladly opting for one more before hitting the road.
The problem is that people underestimate their state of inebriation and overestimate their prowess behind the wheel. Illusory superiority is the belief that one is above average when that belief is unwarranted. On a scale of one to 10, most of us think we are sevens. Almost all of us are wrong. No one gets into a car intending to do harm. It is just that they don’t believe they are as drunk as they are, and think they are better drivers than they are.
A Fatal Lack of Empathy
Driving is a very personal experience. No one gets into a car thinking about the health and safety of all the other people on the road. We are only thinking of ourselves and what might happen to us if something goes wrong.
But as social creatures, we care deeply about what happens to others in the case of an emergency. A stranger will risk her life to save another. There are moments that shock us out of our narcissistic bubble. We have a general lack of empathy, but not a fatal lack of empathy.
Someone under the influence is less empathetic and will almost never consider the consequences of their actions. When a drunk driver gets behind the wheel, they are not worried about the family of six they may take out. It is not that they intend to do harm, but they are unable to process consequences.
What makes a drunk driver so dangerous is that they are oblivious to the scope of their legal peril, have an inflated since of their abilities, and are incapable of normal levels of empathy.
