How do I know if somebody is a drunk driver?

Drunk driving is incredibly dangerous, and claims many lives across the United States each year. One of the most important things you can do to stay safe on the roads is to be able to recognize an impaired driver.

There are several signs that somebody is driving impaired. According to MADD, if you believe that somebody is driving while impaired, you should take care to protect yourself, first.

Signs of impaired driving

If a driver is accelerating or decelerating at random, that person may be drunk. Many impaired drivers engage in tailgating or will straddle the center lane marker because they worry about running off the road. Impaired drivers often drift out of lanes, zig-zag for no discernable reason, or may even be driving lower than the speed limit suggests out of paranoia.

Of course, it is possible a sober driver may engage in the above. But particularly if you see multiple signs, the likelihood is high.

What to do

The first is to stay as far away from the driver as possible. If you can get a look at the license plate number, the make and model of the car or any other identifying characteristics of the driver or the car it is good to do so, but do not endanger yourself. After, you should call 911 and inform the police of your suspicions, give the police any information you can about the vehicle as well as the current location of the vehicle. You should also explain why you believe the driver may be drunk.

Keeping America’s roads safe is paramount. All of us can do our part to keep impaired drivers off the streets.