Drennan Law Firm's Blog

It doesn't matter if you enjoy driving on the interstate in South Carolina or attempt to avoid it at all costs, it's a must to follow a variety of safety tips to help prevent an accident.

With a high volume of vehicles moving at a high rate of speed, driving on the interstate is easier said than done. Here are five tips you can follow to enhance your safety:

• Obey the speed limit: It's easy to speed on the interstate, especially if the flow of traffic is moving faster than the speed limit. Rather than attempt to keep up, move into the right lane and obey the rules of the road.
• Leave more space: A safe following distance is a must, as it helps keep both you and other drivers safe. If you follow too closely, you may not have enough space to stop in the event of an emergency.
• Make yourself visible around large vehicles: For example, commercial trucks are all over the state's interstates. Do your best to remain visible at all times, such as by avoiding blind spots and using your turn signal when changing lanes.
• Don't switch lanes too often: It's okay to switch lanes when necessary, but don't make this a habit. As a general rule of thumb, use the right lane for travel and the left lane for passing.
• Avoid distractions: You can't control other drivers, but you can avoid distractions in your own vehicle. Keep your cellphone out of reach, don't engage in too much conversation with your passengers and avoid eating or drinking. These are the types of steps you can take to avoid common distractions that have been proven to increase the risk of an accident.

Do you know someone who is generally a negative person? They constantly talk about how badly things are going in their life, they never seem to be enjoying themselves and they may even come across as neurotic. They're self-absorbed, but in the sense that they think everything is stacked against them. It's draining to spend time with them, and you wonder if they have emotional and even mental issues to deal with.

Well, according to some experts, that person could actually be more dangerous to be around, especially when they're on the road. When looking at profiles of dangerous drivers, they found that negative people fit the bill far more often.

Imagine driving home on a Friday night. After work, you had stopped in to your favorite watering hole to unwind with some of your friends and kick off the weekend. On your way to your house in Mt. Pleasant, you pass a police officer going the opposite way. The next thing you know, the officer has done a U-turn and is following you. Maybe you have had a couple of beers or some tequila shots. No matter what you have had to drink, it might be enough to trigger a field sobriety test or a Breathalyzer. If you fail, you could be facing a driving under the influence (DUI) charge.

As you probably know, a DUI conviction can cause you some serious legal troubles. You might have to pay the court thousands of dollars in fees and fines, you could have to spend some time in jail and there could be seemingly endless months of probation. There are also other DUI conviction consequences that can negatively affect your life.

In Charleston, as well as other cities in South Carolina and the United States, drunk driving is a very serious issue. This is why many of the consequences for even first-time offenders are so severe. In many cases, a driving while intoxicated (DWI) charge can carry with it jail time, high court costs and fees, community service, and other far-reaching and unanticipated consequences.

In general, people do not wake up in the morning and decide to drink all day and then get behind the wheel. It is often something that happens once a person becomes impaired to the point that the decision-making process becomes compromised. However, with a little planning, you might be able to avoid a DWI the next time you go out for a night on the town. Here are some DWI prevention tips to reduce your chances of being charged with drunk driving.