According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 2,597 people were killed in United States traffic accidents in December 2010. Of those, 775 deaths involved alcohol-impaired drivers. A 2006 study by the NHTSA estimated that there is one drunk driving fatality in the United States every 30 minutes.
Clayton County's Driving Under the Influence Laws are complex. Clayton County DUI injury attorney Shane Smith can sort through the intermingled laws that potentially create complications in a DUI case.
The NHTSA released a list of frequently exhibited characteristics of a drunk driver. Identifying an impaired driver makes it easier to avoid these vehicles and to report them to police. Common signs that a vehicle is being operated by an impaired driver include:
- Straddling a lane, often driving over lane reflector markers or lane dividing lines for miles without correction
- Exhibiting difficulty staying in one lane and narrowly missing objects including other cars, street signs, curbs and medians
- Weaving across multiple lanes or swerving
- Holding their face closer to the windshield than necessary or drinking inside the vehicle
- Driving significantly below the speed limit
- Unpredictable braking
- Rapid acceleration
- Making wide turns into the improper lane
- Following vehicles dangerously closely (tailgating) or approaching another car dangerously closely before taking evasive maneuvers to pass
- Driving on a shoulder or median
- Driving at night without headlights
- Stopping at inappropriate times such as at green lights or in the middle of a street
If you have questions about Clayton County DUI laws, get the answers in Clayton County DUI injury attorney Shane Smith's book, I Was Hit By a Drunk Driver: What Do I Do Next? Contact Shane Smith Law to schedule a free legal consultation