Drunk Driving and the Individual

When a person chooses to drive drunk, they put themselves and other individuals in serious danger of being injured or killed. Thousands of people are harmed each year in drunk driving accidents that could have been avoided if the intoxicated driver had chosen to take a taxi, had a designated driver, or waited to sober up.
Unfortunately, some people convince themselves that they are capable of driving drunk even when they know that it is unsafe. However, there are behaviors that you can watch for to detect drunk drivers on the road and steer clear of them to avoid an accident.

Drunk Driving Warning Signs

Driving drunk interferes with your ability to make decisions quickly under pressure. It also affects your reaction time, lengthening the time that it takes you to notice a hazard ahead and take action to avoid it. This effect is universal in people who are intoxicated; there is no such thing as being “immune” to alcohol. Those who drive drunk often exhibit certain driving behaviors that can help you detect and avoid an intoxicated driver on the road.

Some common drunk driving warning signs include:

• Excessive braking
• Drifting into other lanes or into oncoming traffic
• Driving with headlights off
• Improper signaling
• Failing to stop at a red light or stop sign

If you come across a driver who exhibits any of these behaviors, he or she may be intoxicated and may be a danger to you and others on the road. Keep a safe distance and do not try to pass the vehicle in question as the driver may make erratic movements and cause an accident. Instead, stay far behind the vehicle and report a description and license plate number to the police, if possible.