“I’m not too drunk to ride”

Drinking and driving is a well discussed issue that is strictly enforced in the United States. The penalties stemming from a DUI are pretty significant, but the potential outcome of drunk driving is death. But often overlooked in the drinking and driving spectrum is drinking and riding a motorcycle. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes are 2.5 times more likely to have consumed alcohol than passenger vehicle drivers—and  about 46 percent of riders killed in accidents, according to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF), have alcohol in their system at the time of their death.

Alcohol may be a social advantage for people trying to overcome shyness at parties, but it does all the wrong things to someone trying to operate a motorcycle. The need for motorcyclists to make good decisions and their ability to maneuver a motorcycle accurately is often underscored. It should be obvious that alcohol diminishes both judgment and skills. After one or two drinks, is a rider capable of judging his or her own condition to operate a motorcycle? Even if control skills have not yet been affected, would a rider have sufficient perception and awareness to adjust speed for conditions or to choose the correct evasive maneuver to avoid a collision? The sober conclusion is that even one or two drinks probably skew a rider’s opinion of his or her ability to handle a motorcycle.

Despite campaigns to raise awareness that drinking and riding don’t mix, the incentive to consume alcohol and ride a motorcycle has done anything but gone away.  Included in the allure is a sometimes quietly accepted, revenue-generating subculture enabling such behaviors as riding to the bar, or bar hopping, or participating in massive regional rider festivals where drink and sometimes drugs are plentiful. The motorcycle culture can often be defined by the risk-taking nature of the members, so some feel that drinking and riding is a minor risk. The statistics suggest that it is in fact a major risk. But for those people who already have an alcohol problem, riding a motorcycle is not the best idea to incorporate into their lives. If you think that you or a loved one has an alcohol problem that they have yet to be confronted, and you’re afraid of a subsequent motorcycle accident stemming from this problem, Seabrook can help. Seabrook is an internationally recognized private and exclusive inpatient drug rehab and alcoholism detoxification treatment center who has achieved an elite CARF accreditation status, ensuring that rehab patients receive the highest quality treatment. The professional treatment team at Seabrook works with a wide variety of alcohol issues, no matter how minor or major the problem might be. To ensure that you or your loved one does not potentially harm themselves in the future from alcohol use, it would be wise to consult the team at Seabrook.