10 Signs of Drunk Driving in Cleveland

10 Signs You May Be Near a Drunk Driver

Reckless driving can cause car accidents that leave victims with serious or fatal injuries. Drunk driving is a type of reckless driving that often results in serious injuries. It's best to keep your distance if you witness the following driving behaviors:

1. Weaving between lanes;
2. Sudden stops;
3. Quick acceleration and deceleration that causes the car to jerk back and forth;
4. Random use of lights and turn signals;
5. Drifting into adjacent lanes or onto the shoulder of the road;
6. Near-misses with objects on the side of the road or other vehicles;
7. Abrupt turns;
8. Driving slower than 10 miles per hour less than the speed limit;
9. Slow response to traffic signals (nearly running stop lights/signs or slow to start when the signal is green); and
10. Driving on the wrong side of the road.

Tips to Avoid Drunk Drivers

There's no way to confirm that a driver is drunk from inside your vehicle. Therefore, it's best to play it safe and give plenty of distance between you and the erratic driver. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), after drivers become intoxicated past the legal limit, they may experience difficulty controlling speed, steering, and reacting to changes in traffic and road conditions. If you spot a driver behaving erratically on the road, you can report the driver to the Ohio State Patrol via telephone. Pull over to a safe spot and dial #677 on your phone to connect to the Ohio State Patrol tip line. When you call, try to include as many details about the situation as possible, including the road the driver is on, the driver’s direction of travel, the make, model and color of the car, and the license plate if possible.

When an Accident with a Drunk Driver Was Unavoidable

There's no surefire way to tell if you're driving near an intoxicated driver, and sometimes their erratic behavior causes an unavoidable accident. When you or a loved one has been harmed by one of these negligent drunk drivers, you should not have to bear the burden of medical expenses and emotional distress that serious injuries may cause. At Ryan LLP, we assist clients in Cleveland and the surrounding areas when they suffer harm at the hands of drunk drivers. We hope you never have to encounter such a situation, but if you do, remember that our attorneys are just a phone call away. Contact us at (877) 864-9495 if you or a loved one has been in a serious accident with a drunk driver. About the author of this article: Thomas Ryan