How to Prevent DUI Accidents
Drunk driving accidents represent an all-too-common accident on the roads in Pennsylvania, leading to hundreds of alcohol-related deaths in motor vehicle accidents each year. Fortunately, you can take steps when going out to protect yourself and help reduce the risk of being involved or injured in a DUI accident.
If You or Someone You Are With Consume Alcohol
If you enjoy socially drinking while out on the town or with friends and family, you can take steps to protect yourself from a DUI accident. Even if you have only had a couple of drinks over an evening or think you are fine to drive, you may in fact be impaired from safely driving. Alcohol has different effects on people, based on their age, gender, weight, fitness, whether they’ve had anything to eat, and even the type of alcoholic beverage they have consumed. It can be difficult to tell whether you are over the legal limit of 0.08, but even if you are under the limit you still may not be a safe driver.
If you do choose to consume alcohol while out or you are with a driver who has been drinking, steps you can take to help prevent a possible DUI accident include:
- Having a designated driver, someone in your group who won’t consume alcohol and will drive everyone home at the end of the day or evening.
- Calling a taxi or using a rideshare service such as Uber or Lyft.
- Making plans to stay over for the night — if you go out to a friend’s or family member’s home and drink while there, try to make plans with your host to spend the night at their house so that you are sober and refreshed in the morning to safely drive home.
If You See a Possible Drunk Driver on the Road
Of course, you may encounter a situation where you need to protect yourself from a possible drunk driver on the road with you. Some of the telltale signs that a driver is intoxicated include:
- Swerving in their lane or drifting across road lines
- Driving in between two lanes
- Making unnecessarily wide turns
- Driving excessively below the speed limit
- Failing to keep pace with traffic, or gradually slowing down only to speed back up
- Braking suddenly and without reason
- Reacting slowly to traffic lights or road signs
- Driving on the curb
- Driving on the wrong side of the road
- Driving without lights at night
- Almost hitting an object or causing an accident.
If you see a driver that you suspect is under the influence of alcohol, do not try to get the driver’s attention or stop the vehicle on your own, as you may be putting yourself at risk by doing so. Instead, keep a safe distance from the driver and note information about their vehicle, including make, model, color, and license plate number. Then, pull off the road where it is safe to do so and contact the police. Let law enforcement handle getting the potentially unsafe driver off the road.
Contact a Pittsburgh Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your DUI Accident Case in Pennsylvania
Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to a DUI accident in Pennsylvania? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at Berger & Lagnese, LLC represent clients injured because of DUI accidents in Butler, Cranberry Township, Erie, Greensburg, and throughout Pennsylvania. Call (412) 471-4300 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 310 Grant St. #720, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.
The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.