As the summer months march on, people are going to enjoy parties and events since the weather is nice. Alcohol is a component in many of these parties, which means that people who don’t make plans to get home might end up trying to drive home drunk.
Drunk drivers can cause serious accidents that can lead to injuries or death. If you are on the New Jersey roads this summer, make sure that you are aware of possible drunk drivers.
The deadly toll of drunk driving
One person in this country dies due to a drunk driver every 51 minutes. This means that 28 people a day, or more than 10,000 people per year, die due to this preventable cause. This is way too many lives that are claimed in this manner. Ultimately, these deaths cost around $52 billion per year.
The thing that is maddening about these drunk driving deaths is that people who are drinking could have prevented the death by simply finding another way home. For the people who lose a loved one in these accidents, the anger will seem white hot when they realize this fact.
Signs of drunk drivers
When you are driving, you can keep an eye out for signs that there is a drunk driver on the road with you. Some of the possible signs include:
- Swerving
- Straddling the center line
- Tailgating
- Hitting parked objects
- Speeding
- Driving too slowly
- Failing to use a turn signal
- Braking erratically
- Failing to obey traffic signals
- Driving on the wrong side of the road
If you see the signs of a drunk driver, you shouldn’t ever try to approach or stop the vehicle. Instead, try to stay away from it. Pull over if it is safe to do so and contact the police. Alternatively, you can have someone in the vehicle with you contact police.
Crashes with drunk drivers
Serious injuries can occur if a drunk driver causes a crash. If you are involved in one of these crashes, you need to call 911 immediately. Get medical care if you are injured. Injuries, especially serious ones, can lead to your needing significant medical care that might mean you need to take time off of work. This can significantly impact your life and it might lead to claims for compensation. You shouldn’t have to cover all of the financial impacts of the accident when the drunk driver’s actions were the ones that led to the crash.