You know there are drunk drivers all over the road. You also know that one of these people could cause a serious accident without notice. While this is enough to scare you, it doesn’t mean you can stay off the road for the rest of your life.
The best thing you can do is focus on what’s happening around you, which means knowing the potential signs that someone is driving under the influence of alcohol. Here are some things to watch for:
- Swerving: Drunk drivers often find it difficult to stay in their lane of travel.
- Aggression: While many types of people become aggressive when driving, this is common among those who are drunk.
- Failure to obey the rules of the road: This takes on many forms, such as running a red light or stop sign, failure to yield and driving the wrong way on a one-way street.
- Bobbing head: Someone who is drunk may find it difficult to keep their head steady and eyes above the steering wheel.
- Slow response time: For example, when a traffic signal turns from red to green, they sit for a few seconds before finally hitting the accelerator.
If you spot someone who may be drunk, keep your distance and consider calling 911 to report them. Doing this will help keep you and other drivers safe.
In the event that a drunk driver causes an accident, it’s imperative to call 911 so that police and paramedics can rush to the scene. While you receive treatment, let the responding officer interview the other person, decide if they are drunk and create a police report.
As time allows after treatment, file an insurance claim and decide if there are other ways to seek compensation from the drunk driver.