During these uncertain times of social distancing, we dream of the days when we can once again be with friends and family. With summer fast approaching, we are hoping that those days are in our foreseeable future so we can spend those moments together and have fun along the way. If you are with the majority of the nation, that probably means drinks all around!
While having drinks and fun is great, remember to do so responsibly! Never drink and drive. You did not just go through 2 months of staying inside, resisting the urge to touch your face only to perish while intoxicated behind the wheel of your car. Always have an alternate way of getting yourself safely home either by having a designated driver, or an Uber on standby. It is never a good thing to think that a few drinks will not affect your driving.
Having said that, knowing what Police look for in drunk drivers may help you stay safe on the road when you are driving sober. If not you, then knowing these signs could help you save someone else’s life too.
Law enforcement gets a bad reputation sometimes, but they are tasked with looking out for your safety. They have been trained to look for certain tell-tale signs that an individual may be too intoxicated to be operating a vehicle. Here are some signs from an Orlando DUI attorney that you as a concerned citizen, can also be on the lookout for.
- Weaving, drifting (moving in a straight line, but with a slight angle to the roadway) or swerving into other lanes
- Sudden braking or speeding up
- Erratic stops or inappropriate stopping
- Turns that are much wider than they normally would be
- Turning that is illegal or suddenly
- Following too close to other cars
- Driving without their headlights on at night
- Using signals that do not match their driving pattern
- Speeding or driving under speed limit (usually 10 miles per hour either way)
- Slow response time to traffic stops and signals
- Striking an object or another vehicle
- Looking drunk while driving (drinking while behind the wheel, face close to windshield, etc)
If you are a witness to any of these signs that a person may be intoxicated while behind the wheel of a vehicle, you can help save a life by calling 911 and reporting what you see. Police cannot be everywhere and you may be able to help by keeping your eyes open. Even if the driver is not intoxicated, but still showing signs of faulty driving, they could be in need of medical attention or assistance, which means you could be saving their life as well as others on the road. Once you reach 911, be sure to answer questions as best you can with a description of the vehicle (make, model, color, license plate, etc), the location and direction the vehicle was heading, and any other details you can provide. Do not try and stop them yourself. Let a trained officer handle the situation. Remember to stay safe and drink responsibly.