How to Spot a Drunk Driver and Respond Appropriately
According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) findings, traffic accidents are the largest single cause of death for people ages 5 to 27, and almost 50 percent of these accidents are alcohol-related. Check out these guidelines for spotting drunk drivers; they follow the recommendations of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the NHTSA.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
Warning Signs
-
1
Watch out for cars that zigzag across lanes or make wide turns. Be wary of other erratic driving such as rapid braking and accelerating, or delayed responses to traffic signals.
-
2
Be alert to drivers who move in a straight line at an angle to the direction of the road or who swerve dangerously close to the curb or to objects along the road.
-
-
3
Look for cars that drive in two lanes at once or along the dividing line, or that drive on the wrong side of or even off the road.
-
4
Watch out for cars driving with headlights off at night, that drive 10 mph or more below the speed limit, or that follow you or others too closely.
-
5
Beware of drivers whose signals are inconsistent with their actions.
What to Do
-
6
Stay clear of the suspected drunk driver.
-
7
Jot down the car's license plate number and vehicle description and call the police at 911 or *SP on your cellular phone. Report your location, the car's direction of travel and the driver's behavior.
-
8
Let the authorities handle the situation.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Keep a pen and paper ready in your car to jot down information for this as well as other highway emergencies.
You risk injury to yourself and others if you try to pass the suspected drunk's car, or if you follow too closely or try to stop the driver yourself.
