I ran into an odd issue yesterday. I saw a semi driving oddly. At first I thoguht he was normal. Then he would oddly drift out of his lane. Then back to normal. Every time I started to think something was off, he acted normally. Too late, I began to think he was a drunk driver.
So how do I recongize a drunk driver? Sure, I called the police on another drunk who was obviously and blatantly swerving like a madman. And I called the police on another idiot who was driving the wrong way on the interstate. (I Am Not Making This Up.) But how do I recognize the marginal cases? I’m going tyo load the non-emergency police number into my call so I don’t have to bother 911 about it.
Does your state have a highway patrol number you can dial from your cell…I’ve seen *HP (Highway Patrol) on roadside signs on interstates before.
I’ve made the call a number of times and in that situation, I’d tell the cops that there’s a driver who is either drunk or falling asleep and is potentially a safety hazard. Then let the police sort it out.
People who text and drive, and/or use a cell phone while driving, exhibit similar behavior. I would report any driver exhibiting the behavior you described.
29 years of law enforcement here, including 25 with an agency that actively patrolled 3 interstates and a U.S. Highway freeway.
THIS!
Deviating from a lane like the OP described is not acceptable regardless if the driver is intoxicated or not.
There is a number in NM that you can call to report drunk drivers. I’ve used it twice. But the truth is I’m not a police officer, I’m not a doctor, and I’m not a bartender. Few of us are. So I call when I see an ‘unsafe’ driver. I can identify those. Let the cops figure out if he is drunk or not.
One of the times I called I saw the driver drinking a bottle of beer behind the wheel, so it was a straightforward report. And the cops got that one, I saw them pull him over.
Other guy passed me on the shoulder. No idea if he was caught or not.
If it’s a semi driver, it’s equally probable that the driver’s been up for 36 straight hours on caffeine and meth and is dozing off at the wheel. But same deal – call it in.
There are several clues that a driver is impaired. DUI, prescription meds, tired, etc…
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The car is stopped at an intersection way ahead of the stop line or crosswalk. They tried, but failed to do the right thing.
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The car is stopped waaay before the stop line in an abundance of caution. Drunks can’t win, ya know?
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Driving with highbeams on, even after you signal them. Or, driving with no headlights on at night.
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Crossing either the centerline or solid white line on the shoulder. This one’s easy, but we all drift a bit now and then. Once is frowned upon, but repeatedly is impaired.
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Blinker is on, on, on. Yeah, the AARP crowd is a leader in the field, so check for a hat or silver hair! No? Book 'em, Danno.
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Straddling a lane line. Acts as a handy guide, like you’re a big slot car.
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Jerky, sudden stops.
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Wiiiide turns. Often accompanied by jerking back into their lane.
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Varying speed, or just slow speed.
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Slow to respond to green/red lights.
There’s more, but these should get you your Junior Sheriff badge if you call them in.
Don’t call the non-emergency line. That’s for your neighbor’s loud party.
Call 911, and let them know what you see.
A drunk driver is most definitely an emergency and needs to be stopped [del]and executed[/del] immediately.
The one time I called, the bouncing off the freeway curb twice in a row was the dealbreaker for me.
Yes, as a couple of posters stressed above, you don’t need to know whether the driver is drunk or not. If he’s driving erratically he’s a menace to other road-users and should be reported to the police. They can sort out the whys and wherefores when they stop him.