As you likely know, drunk driving is a top contributor to motor vehicle accidents in North Carolina. These crashes typically lead to severe injuries, including spinal cord damage and traumatic brain injury.
If you knew where danger lurks, you would probably take steps to avoid such peril. Learning how to spot a potentially drunk motorist is one way to identify risk before it affects you, allowing you to get well out of its way.
Possible indicators of drunk driving
Every person reacts to alcohol differently, and there are no definitive signs associated with intoxicated driving. However, if you spot the following driving behaviors, it is wise to get out of the way in case the other driver had a few too many drinks:
- Weaving or swerving across the roadway
- Erratic braking and stopping without reason
- Drifting in or across lanes
- Braking and accelerating rapidly
- Driving much too slowly
- Straddling lane markers
- Signaling that does not match the driver’s actions
- Operating without headlights in the dark
- Making abrupt or illegal turns
- Driving on the wrong side of the road into opposing traffic
- Strikes or near-strikes with objects (curbs, other cars, etc.)
Although erratic driving may not involve an intoxicated motorist, it is always better to be safe than sorry. Acting swiftly in the face of potential danger can save you from the injuries that often arise in alcohol-involved motor vehicle accidents. For example, if you slow down and let the suspicious vehicle pass you, it could help you avoid a crash.
If you suffer injuries in a vehicle accident, learning more about North Carolina injury and accident compensation laws can help you find a legal remedy for your harm.
