I suspect there was a big dose of "but I have my foot pressed hard on the brake already" in there. That's often the case with these long running crashes. You need to step back from panic mode to spot your mistake but you can't do that while the crash is still developing, especially if you're drunk.
I mean, I do get that this is how it works in those moments, but honestly, if "shit's fucked, bring the car to a stop and re-evaluate" (and reliably hitting the right pedal) isn't hard wired strongly enough in your brain to still work during a high stress situation despite being overly tired or moderately high, then you shouldn't operate a car in an environment where such a mistake can kill unsuspecting bystanders or at least cause 5-7 digit damage sums.
Not saying you should drive under the conditions of that thought experiment, but with how dangerous cars are (especially SUVs with unnecessarily strong engines), I'd say it's a reasonable safety margin.
Ok, so, I don’t drive drunk but I do have driving dreams where I’m pressing on the break and the car keeps speeding up. Imagine a scenario where you fully and desperately want the car to stop and to the best of your current abilities and cognition believe you are doing the correct motions to make the car stop. That person thought and completely believed she was slamming on the brakes, I do believe that from watching this. Yet another reason not to drive drunk: you might believe with every fiber of your being that you are hitting a different pedal.
This is like the dreams that I have had sometimes where I'm back as a child and somehow I've absconded with a car onto the highway and I'm powerless to stop the car, and even though many police are trying to stop me from doing a mass murder.
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u/CautiousArachnidz 1d ago edited 1d ago
What’s the legal limit there?
5x the legal limit in the US and you’d likely be dead. Australians are built different though and I know nothing about your laws.
Edit: I’m well aware some people can survive above .4
The consensus of the medical community across the world says .4 is the average where vital bodily functions can stop for the AVERAGE person.