Drunk driving cases are a fairly common sight in Las Vegas. It’s understandable, considering it’s a big city with a large selection of establishments offering alcohol, and an equally large population of citizens that own vehicles, it’s statistically expected that at least one of these people will be booked for driving while inebriated. Things might be closer to home if you happen to be in the latter category.
There are some things that you yourself may not see unless pointed out by other people; in this case, you might not know that you are actually driving under the influence. If you’re not ready to get dealt with possible jail time and high fees, you have to be informed about possible signs. Here are five signs that you are at risk of a DUI charge in Las Vegas.
Speed Limits
One of the common beliefs people have about drunk drivers is that they have an uninhibited tendency to go beyond maximum speed limits imposed on the road. Indeed, many DUI cases that get highlighted on the news involve the perpetrator going three or four times the maximum speed limit, and end up hurting themselves and other people, or at least causing a high level of damage to public and private property. However, the opposite is often also true: a person driving under the influence may have the tendency to drive way below the maximum speed limit, and even below the minimum speed. If you people point out that you have episodes where you are driving slower than normal, you have to get yourself checked.
Excessive Braking
Have you found yourself using the brake pedal more often lately? If you have, you might want to do a double-check; you might already be at risk of being booked for suspected DUI. Law enforcement would be on the lookout for anyone who hits the brake often, and in some cases, a little too forcefully. Alcohol impairment does heavily affect braking behavior, so law enforcement would be suspicious of anyone who uses their brakes excessively, especially in roads without much vehicle or foot traffic.
Tailgating
As stated earlier, alcohol impairment has a strong effect on a person’s ability to drive. Apart from the slowed reaction times and diminished ability to make informed decisions, a person driving under the influence can have their senses impaired as well. As such, a person may have difficulty hearing oncoming vehicles or even feeling the steering wheel when they are inebriated. More often than not, though, a suspected drunk driver has a tendency to tailgate fellow drivers on the road at a regular basis. Alcohol impairs their vision, making it harder for the driver to determine how far they are from the vehicle ahead and thus leading to this situation. Even if you are just sleepy on the road most of the time, you can still fall under suspicion of DUI if your sleepy episodes are punctuated by excessive tailgating on multiple vehicles.
Straddling Center Lane
Impaired drivers are oftentimes easy to spot because of the behaviors pointed out above. Because of this, many habitual drunk drivers have sought out ways to avoid raising suspicion when they are committing DUI, and straddling the center lane of the road is one of the most common methods. The reasoning is twofold: they can avoid swerving and possibly hitting other vehicles, and they think they can keep attention away from themselves if they stay in the middle of the highway. Keep an eye out on your driving lane habits; chances are you might have been hugging the center lane as well, increasing your chances of getting into a DUI traffic stop.
Demographic Statistics
If you are a young adult male who owns a car in the United States, you have a high chance of being part of DUI statistics in your lifetime. Based on recent NHTSA records, men are more likely to be involved in a drunk driving incident than women, and the usual suspects fall under the 21 to 26 age range. For a more recent record, over 21% of fatal crashes across the country in 2018 involved drunk male drivers, as opposed to only 14% of drunk female drivers for the same period. If you happen to fall under said category, you might want to give yourself a lifestyle check.
You can’t underestimate a potential DUI charge. Just because you are facing a possible drunk driving conviction for the first time doesn’t mean you can be all wily-nily with your driving habits. Gauge yourself and apply the necessary changes if you don’t want to go to prison for DUI. However, if you are already at risk of conviction, remember that there are veteran DUI attorneys in Las Vegas ready to help you out.