RoadRagers.com
How to Recognize and Deal With Drunk Drivers

Imagine you are on the road driving home and you see someone driving erratically. What should you do? Think in advance about what your reactions will be in this situation. Following are some possible signs of drunk driving, as well as tips on what to do and what not to do. As soon as you see an erratic driver who you feel may be drunk, begin looking for a public building or convenience store where you could ask to make an emergency call. These tips can help keep you and others safe!

POSSIBLE SIGNS OF DRUNK DRIVING:

• Straddling center lane or lane marker.
• Almost striking and object or vehicle.
• Taking extremely wide turns.
• Weaving from one side of the road to the other.
• Driving on the wrong side of the road or on the shoulder.
• Driving at very slow speed - at least 10 mph below the limit.
• Following another car too closely.
• Narrowly missing another car or object by passing too closely.
• Braking erratically.
• Driving without headlights.
• Signaling inconsistently with what they are doing.
• Stopping inappropriately in places such as at green lights and crosswalks with no pedestrians, etc.

What To Do

• Stay far behind the suspected drunk driver.
• Get out of the way and expect the unexpected.
• Wear your safety belt (and make sure that any children or other passengers have their safety belts fastened as well) - It is one of your best defenses against a drunk driver.
• Stop right away and look for a phone.
• Report suspected and impaired drivers to the state or local police by dialing 911 or *SP on your cellular phone. Give the location, direction of travel, and description of the car and driver's behavior.

What Not To Do:

• Do not try to pass the car!
• Do not try to stop the vehicle.
• Do not follow too closely. The car may stop abruptly.
• Do not attempt to act in the capacity of the police. Do not try to detain or confront the driver. Call the police and let them take care of it!

If everyone made a commitment to give the police the information they need to find and arrest drunk drivers, it would be like every police officer had an extra set of eyes. Take a stand against drunk driving!

Return to Home Page

DISCLAIMER: The Road Ragers Web Site is intended to create a safe environment for frustrated drivers to vent disapproval of what they witness on the streets and highways. We would like to point out that the purpose of this site is intended for general information and entertainment purposes only. Since the operators of this site accept anonymous reports from the public, the accuracy or meaning of the information on this site is not guaranteed. Although RoadRagers.Com attempts to discourage users from making fraudulent claims, reports submitted to this site are accepted as the alleged opinions of those submitting the reports. For information on our policy concerning the data that this site collects from you the user, please view our privacy policy.