Lesser Known Signs of a Drunk or Impaired Driver

Let’s say that you’re driving on the road, perhaps later at night,, and you see another driver on the road. Something about that driver and the way the car is being handled, just seems a bit off. You can almost tell that the vehicle is going to end up in an accident, and as you watch further, you start to wonder if that driver is, in fact, impaired.

In some cases, consider yourself lucky—you have the chance to see, recognize, and thus avoid that driver. In other cases, DUI drivers seemingly come out of nowhere, going the wrong way on roads or blowing through busy intersections. In those cases there is no avoiding an impaired driver.

Lesser Known Impairment Signs

But how do you know if a driver may be impaired, or under the influence, or that a driver who caused your accident, was impaired? Sure, many people will tell you the more obvious signs—excessive speeding, or swerving come to mind. But there are actually other signs that may tip you off to avoid the area around a driver, because he or she may be under the influence.

Inconsistent signals – Did the driver turn left after using a right hand turn signal? While this may just be an honest error, in many cases, this kind of confusion may signal a driver who is impaired.

Going too slow – While we equate excessive speed with being a sign of DUI, lack of speed is a sign also Many drivers are just too impaired to operate the vehicle at normal speeds—or they may be overcompensating, trying to “hide” from police and other drivers, by going unusually slow.

Hugging the center – Many impaired drivers fear driving or veering off the side of the road. As a result, they will often move to the center of a divided roadway to give them “leeway” between the edges of the roadway on both sides.

Responsiveness – Many impaired drivers do not respond to traffic signals the way that they should. So, for example, a driver may sit at a green light, or may slam on their brakes at the last minute even though the light has been red, or the stop sign is clearly visible. Drivers may tailgate vehicles in front of them, and then have to slam on their brakes when the vehicle in front comes to a stop.

The same goes for turns. Impaired drivers often don’t see or recognize turns until the last minute. Drivers who turn at too high of a speed, or who slam on their brakes at the last minute when they realize that they have to make a turn, are often impaired drivers.

Lack of lights – Again, being impaired limits the ability to operate the features of a vehicle. Lack of headlights at night is a good sign that something is amiss inside the vehicle.

Were you injured by a driver you think may have been under the influence? Call our Boston personal injury lawyers at The Law Office of Joseph Linnehan, Jr. today at 617-275-4200 for help.

Sources:

madd.org/concerned-citizen/

nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/808677.pdf