Smart Auto Insurance Blog

We all know how dangerous drinking and driving is, but the epidemic continues and people are still dying in tragic accidents caused by drunk drivers.  According to the article “More Young Women Driving Drunk” by Steven Reinberg on BusinessWeek.com the trend is growing in young women which is very unfortunate.

Men still make up the majority of drunk drivers, but the number of drunk women on the road is growing.  A study based on data from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that women drivers involved in deadly car crashes increased over the years 1995-2007.

Weekday accidents with alcohol involved among females increased by 3.5%, and weekend alcohol related accidents increased by 2.2%.  With more women consuming alcohol in large amounts there are more women making poor decisions and causing horrific accidents.  Simply said, do not drive drunk.  Even if you do manage to get extremely lucky and avoid an accident you are at risk of expensive fines, jail time, and carrying special SR22 Insurance for high-risk drivers.  None of that is worth it, especially putting lives at risk.

There are some great tips on defensive driving to help keep you safe on the Encompass Car Insurance website.  Their Plan & Learn section on their site says that drunk drivers are the most dangerous violators on the road and half of all highway fatalities are due to drinking and driving.

They offer some tips to keep your eye out for potentially drunk drivers when you are on the road.  Some of these include unusually wide turns, weaving, swerving, sudden stops, tailgating, no headlights at night, drifting, slow response to traffic signs, or driving on the wrong side of the road.

If you happen to notice such a driver on the road it’s important to maintain a safe distance.  Allow the traffic violator to pass you, and do not try to pass them.  If the driver is coming head-on move into the nearest shoulder and use your horn and lights to try and get them to realize they are driving the wrong way.  If possible, get the driver’s license and report the situation to the police.  The quicker this person can get off the road, the safer everyone will be.