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3 signs of driver intoxication that increase risk of collision

On Behalf of | Jan 28, 2023 | Drunk Driving Accidents

When you’re driving along a Louisiana roadway, you, have no way of knowing exactly who is sharing the road at any given time. Even if someone you know happens to pass by on the highway, you cannot know for sure how he or she will act behind the wheel. In certain situations, the risk of a collision immediately increases and might suggest that driver intoxication is placing you and all others in the vicinity in danger. 

Alcohol affects every person differently. However, drunk drivers often exhibit several specific behaviors. If you are traveling in Louisiana and witness these behaviors in another motorist, it is wise to try to immediately distance yourself from that particular vehicle; otherwise, you may wind up suffering serious injuries if a collision occurs.  

Driver intoxication impedes depth perception 

One of the behaviors you might notice if a nearby motorist is acting under the influence of alcohol is random and frequent application of the brake pedal that doesn’t match the current traffic pattern. Drunk drivers often have difficulty judging the distance between their vehicle and the one in front. This impediment often results in driving far below the speed limit or stepping on the brakes every few minutes.  

Driver intoxication causes blurred vision 

If a nearby driver is drunk, he or she might be seeing two sets of double yellow lines. Blurry or double vision is a common effect of intoxication. This might cause a vehicle to drift over into an oncoming lane, bump into a curb or hit another car. If that car is yours, you or someone you love might suffer severe, or, perhaps, life-threatening, injuries.  

A driver’s attention span might be reduced under the influence of alcohol 

There is no way to avoid cognitive impairment under intoxication. In fact, signs of cognitive impairment may occur in drivers who have imbibed alcohol but whose blood alcohol content (BAC) level is still within legal limits for driving. When BAC reaches .08 or higher, a driver is prohibited from operating a motor vehicle in Louisiana.  

Cognitive impairment under intoxication often causes a reduction in a person’s attention span. On the road, this might be evident in a driver who fails to notice a red light or stop sign or doesn’t see a pedestrian step off the curb. A reduced attention span might also cause a driver to stay stopped even after a traffic light has turned green.  

If you are hit by a drunk driver in Louisiana 

Sadly, driver intoxication often causes fatal collisions. Even if you notice erratic driving behavior, you may not be able to react swiftly or safely in time to avoid a crash. If you survive a drunk driving accident, you might suffer injuries that require weeks or months to heal. Such incidents also often cause financial distress, which is where the civil justice system may be of assistance.  

In Louisiana and all other states, a recovering victim may seek restitution in court when driver intoxication was a causal factor in a collision that resulted in physical or economic damages.