Every drunk driving accident that happens is a tragedy, and if you or someone you know has been involved in one of these incidents, you’ll stop at nothing to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. Aside from abstaining from drunk driving, you may not know what you can do to prevent drunk driving accidents. Most likely, you’ve formulated a plan for what you’re going to do if you encounter a drunk driver, though, unless you’ve been reading this article, you’ve probably got a few things wrong or missing from your plan all together. Here are some things you should consider before you launch your next plan to protect yourself from drunk drivers.
Flashing your lights at a drunk driver to get their attention is a bad idea. Many do-gooders on the road, and individuals who don’t want to get into an accident with a drunk driver who forgot to turn on their lights will flash their lights into the car. But this can startle drunk drivers, who may then slam on the brakes, swerve or otherwise get into a situation that is bound to cause a collision.
Honking at the drunk driver to get their attention. Same as flashing your lights, honking your horn isn’t likely to get their attention in a good way. Drunk drivers spook easily and when a person under the influence hears your horn, they may begin acting even more erratic on the road.
Trying to speed around the drunk driver. Speeding is never a good idea anyway, but when you try to speed up to get around a drunk driver, you’re putting yourself in danger. Many drunk drivers, and drivers under the influence of other dangerous substances, are likely to try to speed up to race with you. They may even attempt to run you off the road because they think it’s a game and don’t realize that what they are doing could cause you real harm.
Remember, when you’re making your drunk driving collision prevention plan, you’ve got to think more about the drunk driver and how they might react in order to keep yourself safe.