Did you know that more than 25% of traffic deaths are related to alcohol impairments? Drunk driving is very dangerous due to how alcohol slows a person’s reflexes and influences their behavior. A drunk driver could easily injure or kill someone.
What should you do if you see a drunk driver on the road? Should you call the police? Should you try and pull the driver over?
Keep reading and learn more about what you can do to help.
Don’t Try to Stop the Drunk Driver’s Car
Many people think that they should take a direct approach and try to stop a drunk driver’s car. But this is a bad idea. Drunk drivers are reckless and might not have any control over their cars.
They may not know how fast they’re going or how to slow down. They may make turns that are too wide or too tight. They may try swerving into other lanes to avoid the cars ahead of them.
Some drunk drivers may fall asleep at the wheel and crash into a telephone pole or another car. A drunk driver is an immediate danger to everyone around them. The signs of a drunk driver include swerving, going too fast or too slow, and driving off the road.
Find out more here if you want to know more about DUI drivers.
The Details
Because drunk drivers are so dangerous, you should stay far away from them. It is best to move your car behind them. This keeps you out of their line of sight, and they are less likely to hit you.
Avoid driving in front of them or to the side. They may not be paying attention to the road and may crash into your car from the back or side. If the drunk driver stops and gets out of the car, don’t confront them.
Drunk drivers may become violent if you try to talk to them or stop them from driving. Yelling or honking at the driver may also startle or distract them. This could cause them to get into an accident.
If you make the driver angry, they may purposely try to cause an accident. They may try to drive their car into yours or tailgate you. This is a sure way to get yourself into a dangerous situation.
It is better to hang back and assess the situation from afar.
Memorize the Car’s Model and Plate Numbers
Just because you should hang back doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything useful. If you think there is a drunk driver on the road, pay attention to the car they’re driving. What model is it?
What about the color? How old does the car look? Is the car worn down or covered in dents and rust?
Any visual details can help you identify the car if it gets out of your line of sight. You can then call the police when you are in a safe location and tell them about the car you saw. You should also consider whether the car looked stolen or not.
If the windows were broken, the driver may have broken into the car. You should also check if there is more than one person in the car. It may be a group of college students who drank too much and are putting themselves in grave danger without realizing it.
What You Need to Know
You should also pay attention to the car’s plate numbers. Be careful when getting these numbers. You may have to get very close to the car to see them.
The car may slam on its brakes, which could send you crashing into the vehicle. It is best to stay as far away as possible when collecting the plate numbers. Memorize the numbers in your head first before writing them down so you won’t forget.
You can then give these numbers to the police. If you can’t get close enough to get these numbers, don’t worry. Your visual recount of the car may be enough for the police to find the drunk driver.
Identify the area where you saw the drunk driver and where the driver was headed. This will make it easier for the police to find them.
Call the Police
Calling the police is very important because they are the ones who will stop the drunk driver. This is not your responsibility. Your responsibility is instead to collect important information to give to the police.
Once you collect enough info from the driver, pull over and call 911. Tell the police about the car you saw, who was driving, what the car looked like, and so on. You should also tell them where you think the car was headed and where you last saw it.
You should also tell them why you think the driver was drunk. Was the driver swerving or driving off the road? Were they driving too fast or too slow?
It is important to have your answers ready once the police start asking you questions. The police need as much information as possible to find the driver and pull them over. If a drunk driver hits you, make sure you call a lawyer as well as the police.
What to Do When You See a Drunk Driver
A drunk driver is a danger to themselves and everyone around them. Alcohol will slow their reflexes and make them drive more recklessly. You can solve the problem by gathering information about the car and calling the police.
The police will take it from there. To learn more about it, check out the other content on our site.