Being in a vehicular accident involving a drunk driver is a terrifying experience. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, there were 10,511 fatalities from DUI wrecks in 2018.
Motor crashes are not always preventable. However, implementing precautionary measures may keep you from joining these statistics or at last minimize the negative impact of such situations.
1. Curtail activities requiring nighttime driving
There is a correlation between driving under the influence and nighttime. This is especially true during the holidays when late parties are more frequent. Being on the road after dark is already inherently more hazardous due to limited visibility. You may want to consider limiting attendance of events that stretch into the night hours. If you choose to participate, you need to display extra caution when traveling home, such as being extremely watchful at intersections.
2. Learn to recognize the signs of an intoxicated driver
One preventative method is to stay a safe distance away from automobiles that may hold an inebriated operator. To do so, you need to be able to recognize the signs of one. Things that need to trigger a warning in your mind are swerving, drifting out of lane, erratic speed changes and braking, driving way above or below the limit, slow reactions to traffic signals/signs and sporadic and sudden turns.
3. Use your seatbelt
In 2017, the NHTSA found that 47% of people killed in passenger vehicle crashes were not wearing their seatbelts. The device saved an estimated 14,955 lives. It could have preserved approximately 2,549 additional ones. The rate of seatbelt use has actually risen, from 98.6% in 2018 to 90.7% in 2019 according to the organization’s data. If you are one of the 9.3% who typically does not use yours, doing so could save you from severe injury if not death.
If you sustain wounds in an accident involving a DUI driver in Nevada, be aware that there is a Statute of Limitations. The law may entitle you to financial compensation as long as you take legal action within two years of the occurrence.