If an intoxicated driver injured you in an accident, you have a right to demand compensation for your physical and financial setbacks. Indianapolis car accident lawyers are available to help you.
When the Danger Is Greatest
Drunk driving is most prevalent during the nighttime hours when most social drinking occurs. Most
intoxicated drivers are on the road between 1am and 3am which is when the majority of bars close. This danger peaks on Friday and Saturday nights as well as on drinking holiday nights.
Identifying Intoxicated Drivers on the Road
Drunk drivers may exhibit erratic driving such as weaving, slowing down, and accelerating for no apparent reason. Sometimes they have difficulty centering their cars in a lane and may occupy parts of two separate lanes.
However, many drunk drivers do not exhibit these symptoms. Instead, their slowed reaction times cause them to run stop signs and red lights, or to rear-end a car stopped at an intersection. They may drive perfectly straight and perhaps keep up with traffic until their impaired judgement causes them to make a mistake such as driving in the wrong lane against traffic. In short, it is not always possible to spot them until it is too late.
Defensive Driving Tips That Minimize Your Risk
Avoid driving late at night. If you can, stay off the road during the peak drunk driving hours and on the worst days of the week as noted above.
Drive in the far right lanes on multilane roads. When drunk people drive against traffic flow in the wrong lane, they mistakenly believe they're in the correct lane and will stay to the right. This means they will be driving in a direction opposite to yours and to your left in the leftmost lanes.
Drive defensively at intersections. When the light turns green, look both ways before proceeding, in case a drunk driver runs a red light. Watch out for cars making left turns into your car as you drive through the intersection. If you already have a green light, slow down and look both ways. When stopped at an intersection, leave an escape route in case a car looks like it will rear-end you.