4 ways to identify a distracted driver

How many times have you driven down Highway 281 or I-10 on your way or from work and seen someone multitasking behind the wheel? San Antonio, like most other cities, has plenty of distracted drivers on the road at any time of the day. Unfortunately, most people think that they can easily send a text message while driving 70 miles per hour down the highway. However, those few seconds it takes to send a text, check an incoming message or simply change the thermostat settings in the car, can be the time it takes for an accident to occur.

Avoiding negligent drivers is probably a daily occurrence during your commute. The following tips can help you identify a distracted driver before you become involved in a car wreck.

Drifting away from center

Due to lane markings, it is pretty easy to see if a car near you is swerving. If you see a vehicle that is drifting away from the center of the lane, even if it doesn’t cross the lines, take it as sign that the driver is distracted. Give that vehicle additional space so that you do not get sideswiped if the distracted driver does drift into a neighboring lane.

Sudden braking

Another sign of a distracted driver is sudden braking. For instance, if the traffic ahead is coming to a slow stop but the driver immediately in front of you suddenly slams on the brakes, that driver was probably not focused on the road ahead.

Lingering at intersections

Many drivers use the few moments stopped at a light to take care of some pressing matter that has nothing to do with driving. A common sign that this is occurring is if the driver does not react when the light changes green and the other cars begin to move. If you see this kind of behavior and have to honk your horn to get that driver moving, keep in mind that he or she probably did not finish whatever the person was doing and the distraction might continue while the vehicle travels down the road.

The driver is wearing headphones

If you see a driver wearing headphones, this could also be a sign of distraction. Either the radio in the car is broken and the driver is listening to music or the headphones are allowing access to phone calls or voice-to-text messaging. Either way, assume this driver is distracted and keep your distance.

While the above tips can help you avoid becoming the victim of a distracted driver, it may be impossible to avoid an accident with a negligent driver. If this happens, keep in mind that you have options. You might be able to file a claim and successfully fight for the compensation you deserve for your injuries and the damages to your car.