You do your best to drive safely and obey the rules of the road. The sad part is that you may encounter somebody who has not acted responsibly by getting behind the wheel after consuming too much alcohol. Many DWI drivers give off signs that they are under the influence, which may alert you to their presence.
Avoiding a DWI driver is crucial since an inebriated driver may crash into you and cause serious or permanent disabling injury, or possibly even death. There are many ways to spot a possible DWI driver. MADD explains some of the more common signs to look for.
Erratic driving
As part of safe driving, you know to stay in your lane, but a DWI driver, due to impaired judgment or slow response time, may drive more erratically. You might observe someone drifting in and out of a traffic lane, zigzagging, or swerving without apparent reason. Some DWI drivers keep tightly on a center lane marker. DWI drivers may also misjudge distances, barely missing a curb or another vehicle.
Strange or unexplained actions
DWI drivers tend to do things that make no sense. They may forget to carry out driving tasks or be unaware of where they are on the road. DWI motorists may put on a turn signal but not turn or they might turn in a different direction than the signal indicates. Some impaired drivers stop for no apparent reason. A nighttime DWI driver might not have headlights on.
Some DWI drivers operate their vehicles in places no automobile should be. A DWI motorist may drive in a lane toward opposing traffic, even ignoring signs that say the driver is going the wrong way. You might also observe a motorist driving someplace that is not meant for vehicles to drive on.
Tailgating
You understand not to drive too close to another vehicle to avoid a fender bender or a more serious accident. A DWI driver, however, is more likely to tailgate another driver. This can be dangerous if you have to stop but the other driver has insufficient time to stop before hitting you. You may need to switch lanes or find a way to leave your lane to avoid the path of the tailgating driver.
