Driving on the roadways can present a number of hazards. Animals could run into the street. Weather conditions could make roads more treacherous. Other drivers could get distracted behind the wheel or, worse, drive while impaired. Unfortunately, drunk drivers pose one of the most significant risks to travelers, and numerous individuals die every year as a result of someone drinking and driving.
You may worry when you head out onto the roads yourself or when your child or other loved one gets behind the wheel. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a person suffers fatal injuries due to drunk drivers every 48 minutes. With a statistic like this one, it is understandable that you should feel apprehensive sharing the roadways. Because you likely cannot avoid driving, you may wonder what you could to do better protect yourself.
Safety precautions
Luckily, you could take several steps to help yourself avoid drunk drivers or at least increase your safety in the event that you find yourself involved in an accident. Some of those precautions include:
- Avoiding late-night driving – Many drunk drivers hit the roads late at night or in the early morning hours.
- Act as a designated driver – You could help protect yourself and others by offering to act as the designated driver. By stopping a friend or loved one from getting behind the wheel after drinking, you do not risk getting in the passenger seat with an impaired driver while also preventing your loved one from potentially causing a drunk driving accident.
- Stay back from suspicious drivers – Though you should always maintain a proper following distance as a general safe driving rule, if you suspect that a driver may be drunk, staying as far away as possible may help keep you safe. If possible, you may even want to get off the road entirely and notify authorities.
- Wear your seat belt – While you may not have the ability to completely avoid a drunk driver, wearing your seat belt could potentially lessen the severity of any injuries you may suffer and reduce the chances of your suffering fatal injuries.
These and other safety measures could help you remain on the lookout for impaired drivers and increase your chances of making it home safely.
Legal measures
Unfortunately, even if you do take precautions, you may still end up in a serious car accident as the result of a drunk driver. If you suffer severe injuries, you may face many struggles, both physically and financially. As a result, you may wish to consider filing a personal injury claim against the driver considered at fault for the incident in order to pursue compensation.