Now that the summer is wrapping up for many college students in St. Louis, most of them are packing up their cars and getting ready for those long drives back to campus. Whether their university is local or out of state, most of them are bound to be behind the wheel for an hour or more before they arrive at their apartments or dorm rooms.
Unfortunately, the roads leading back to college are typically quite hazardous. Not only do students have to deal with summer traffic and construction, but they will be far from the only young drivers making a long road trip back to school. These motorists are still inexperienced and are vulnerable to committing several forms of negligent driving on their way to college. It’s crucial for students to be aware of potential dangers they may face.
Drowsy drivers
Just because you may attend an in-state college doesn’t mean most of your school’s students do. Some could be driving from Illinois or as far as California. You don’t know when the last time these drivers took a break was or how much sleep they got the previous night. Even though most sleeping problems tend to come during the school year, don’t expect all of the student drivers to be completely awake as you get closer to your university.
Spotting an exhausted motorist is not that much different from coming across a drunk driver. They may display sporadic movements, inconsistent speeds, a struggle to keep their car straight in their lanes and too many close calls with the brakes. If you come across a driver that displays this behavior repeatedly, move to a lane further away or consider taking an alternate route.
Distracted drivers
While upperclassmen may be familiar with what routes to take to school at this point, many first-years and sophomores have to put in the address on their GPS and don’t have a mount they can put it on. This means plenty of them will have to look away from the road once they start getting closer to college and might start making close turns that can throw off drivers going at a normal pace.
Additionally, many students will pack their vehicles to the brim with school supplies as well as basic necessities for their dorm rooms. Drivers should attempt to have some form of rear visibility, but it’s far less likely for college students driving to campus. If you spot a driver with too many supplies in their trunk, try to avoid ending up in one of their many blind spots.
As you begin packing your car and checking your school’s website for class books, you need to also prepare yourself for a potential accident on the way there. Contact a reliable motor vehicle accident attorney that can help you recover if a reckless student crashes into you to avoid a rough start to the school year.
