4 tips for avoiding impaired drivers
Drunk drivers continue to be a serious issue on Tennessee’s roads, and simply not drinking and driving yourself isn’t enough to avoid being involved in a crash. If you really want to reduce the risk, you may need to take drastic steps to avoid these impaired drivers.
What can you realistically do? Though nothing can bring the risk down to zero, these four tips can help:
- Don’t assume other drivers will follow the law. When a car is coming toward you, it’s natural to assume that driver will stay on his or her side of the center line. Remember, though, that the line is only a strip of paint. It doesn’t actually protect you. Watch other cars carefully and be ready to act if they make mistakes.
- Stay home on the holidays. Many DUI accidents happen around holidays like the Fourth of July and St. Patrick’s Day, which are largely geared around drinking. The risks are higher on those days and the nearest weekends.
- Keep off of smaller roads. Though you may feel like the faster interstates pose a bigger threat, studies have actually shown that the deadliest crashes happen on two-lane roads in rural areas.
- Don’t drive at night. Far more people drink and drive after dark, to the point that three times as many people die in DUI crashes at night, when compared to daytime accidents. The later the hour, the higher the risk.
These are valuable tips that can help you avoid a crash, but remember that it’s not your obligation to do so. Those drunk drivers are at fault when they cause serious accidents. You have a right to drive when and where you want. If you’re in a wreck, be sure you know the legal steps you should take.
Source: Drivers Ed Guru, “How to Minimize the Risk of Being Hit by a Drunk Driver,” accessed Sep. 28, 2017