Drunk driving is extremely dangerous and leads to thousands of deaths every year. Thus, keeping drunk drivers off the roads is of utmost importance. However, many people do not know what to do if they see a driver they suspect is drunk.
Your first concern should be your personal safety, but then you must act quickly and report the drunk driver. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, there are three main steps you should take if you suspect you see a drunk driver.
What are the steps?
The first step is to put as much space between you and the other driver as possible. Do not attempt to pass or get the attention of the drunk driver, as this will merely put you at risk for getting in a collision yourself. The next step is to ascertain as much information as possible about the drunk driver. Getting a license plate number if possible is optimal. However, getting the make, model and color of the vehicle is also useful. Again, do not put yourself at risk.
The final step is to call 911 and report the drunk driver. Somebody driving drunk is an emergency and the police need to take care of it as soon as possible. Try to give the police as much information as you can about your location and where you suspect the drunk driver may be heading.
What happens next?
After you report the drunk driver to the police, there is not much else you should do other than maintain your own safety. You may wish to pull off to the side of the road to ensure that the drunk driver is far away from you. The police should be on their way shortly to neutralize the problem.
