Drunk Drivers - Do you report them?
 

I know we've all (most of us anyway) had a drink or two before getting behind the steering wheel, but I don't have much time for drunk drivers. I was driving home a 7PM on Friday when I noticed the car in front of me wasn't staying in his lane. I debated whether to call the cops and report him but it seems so drastic so instead I just followed home home to make sure he survived - which, after a few sidewalk encounters, he did.

Later I was thinking how badly I would have felt if he had hit someone when I could have stopped him.

So my question is: Do you pick up your cell phone and report drunk drivers?

I'm not sure I've ever encountered a drunk driver but if I ever saw one driving REALLY badly then I'd certainly call the cops on him.

-Lasereth

i ahve called in on a few drunkdrivers...

where i live meth is extremely prevalant... and i always worry about drug or drink induced driver especially if my kids are with me...

Yes. Absolutely, Yes.

I had a friend killed by a drunk driver in high school, another killed by a drunk driver in college, I was seriously injured by a drunk driver just after college, and there have been a few more incidents along the way.

I have zero tolerance for morons who drive drunk, there is no excuse for doing it, and I will do everything in my power to get them off the road. I frankly could care less whether the kill themselves or not, but if I see them, I'll do my best to make sure they don't kill or hurt someone else.

Absolutely. I've called police about stopped cars that block traffic, and I have no qualms whatsoever about calling them about drunk drivers.

My rule is pretty simple. One hour per drink. It takes the body about an hour to metabolize a single drink, so I give myself that much time. And the first thing I do at a party is hand my keys to the host, so they get to make the final decision on whether or not I should drive home. To do anything less is irresponsible and stupid.

Never had the opportunity to yet, but I'd certainly report someone for driving drunk. I think once you know it's your responsibility to take action, or the blame is partially yours as well.

Couple years ago, I called and reported a drunk driver. The surface street we were on was under construction and she kept hitting the popsicle and concrete barriers. I felt like if I didn't call, she was gonna kill herself or, worse, someone else. By the time I had decided to call the police, she had made her way to the interstate on-ramp. I followed her just in case something bad happened before the police could get there. Well, she floored it when she got on the highway and I lost sight of her.

About a week later, I got a call from an officer. I guess they managed to track her down on the highway and pulled her over after recording a speed of 103 mph on the radar gun. The officer told me that she was extreme DUI. He thanked me and said that the woman is still in custody.

My whole point of view with drunk driving is that, yes, we all do it from time to time, but there comes a point where there is absolutely no reason for you to be on the road when you are like the woman I saw. Ever since that incident, I make it a point to establish a designated driver, which is usually me because my friends don't take it that seriously. Why risk your future or someone else's by not taking a cab or calling a sober friend?

Never done it, never will. Driver drunk, that is. I have too much to lose if I do, and I absolutely detest those that do it. I have reported suspected drunks before, though. Would readily do it again.

I call them in every time I see one.

We had a sixteen year old girl get murdered here a year or so back by a drunk driver. The drunk driver decided that it wasn't really her fault that she killed the girl, and that the police/justice system were being excessively harsh with her because she's an aboriginal North American Indian. Apparently the parole board agreed with her because she spent about three months of her two year prison term incarcerated before they released her on parole.

I wish I'd seen her in time to call her in.

Not only have I called on drunk drivers, my job is to take the calls from those who are reporting them. Quite a few people call me every night about drunk drivers. The callers are right in about half of all calls. Where I live, a program was started which rewards people who report a drunk driver which leads to a conviction. They get $50.00.

Ok so question to those that said they have before: how exactly do you go about it? Do you just pick up your cellphone and dail 911? (does 911 even work with cellphones if you're not in your home area, or do you need to know the general police number?) If i saw someone driving dangerously drunk I'd want to report them, but not really be sure about how to go about it.

Also, do you worry that in their drunken state that if they noticed a car trailing them it might freak them out and make their driving even worse? I'm real interested reading these responses because i've wondered before what exactly i'd have to do if i saw someone and wanted to report it.

Was almost in head on collision with drunk driver several years ago. He passed our car and hit a telephone pole. I would definitely call 911. There are signs posted in my state everywhere to call 911 on impaired drivers.

I don't call in drunk drivers but I also don't call in people who decide to drive while on the phone and eat meals while they're on the phone. Surely there's a big difference between driving distracted and driving impared but the risks are the same and it's not as if I'm going to hang out at fast food restaraunts just to see who couldn't wait to get home before eating.

if i had a cell phone i would prolly call em in... ive only seen it a couple times...

My question is, how do you know they are drunk? If they're swerving around on the road perhaps they are having car trouble? I say this because a friend of my father's once was out one evening with his son and on the drive home (roughly a 30 min drive) he had car trouble. His car didnt accelerate well and would slow down randomly. There was a car behind him and he pulled over to check out his car. The car behind him passed him and went over a hill. Nothing seemed obviously wrong with the car so he decided to keep on going as home wasn't that far. Over the hill, he noticed the car that had passed him had pulled over, and pulled back onto the road behind him. 5-10 min later a cop came screaming down the road and pulled him over, and the other car drove away. He then proceeded to be questioned by the officer and forced to do all the field sobritey stuff, when the cop hadn't witnessed him driving at all, and the cop wouldn't listen to either the driver nor his teenage son that they were having car troubles. He was perfectly sober so of course was eventally let go. He found the whole situation emberassing and was frustrated at whomever was in that car behind him.

Drunk driving is totally stupid and wrong, and anyone I know who does it gets quite a bit more than an earful from me. But the point I guess I am trying to make is how can on tell another driver is drunk by just driving behind them? How much swerving and stuff is necessary before you know that this person is drunk?

Anytime any driver seems somewhat detached from the normal driving behaviors, a call should be made. Epileptic seizure, diabetic reaction, or just plain drunk. It provides a service for all of us.

I don't know for sure if this person was drunk but what ever their problem they were unable to safely operate their vehicle. I know the local police phone number so I should have called them. It just seemed such a big deal. In retrospect of course, I'm kicking myself because the driver, if drunk, deserved it. And as said above, I would have hated to see them hit someone while I was following them home.

Does someone calling the cops know that another driver is drunk? Of course not. They have no way of knowing for sure. The question becomes, if you see a vehicle weaving from lane to lane including crossing into on-coming traffic, driving on the shoulder and unable to maintain their speed, do you want your family to be on the same road as this person, no matter what the reason? I know I don't. If it's a problem with the car, stop and call a tow truck. If the driver is having a seizure, I would think someone should be called to assist that person.

Regarding your friends incident, yes, the cops are going to check out the driver on a report of drunk driving. They don't need to observe the subject's driving if they already have a witness to attest to what they observed. After hearing the kinds of excuses people come up with as to why they were driving bad, I can't blame the cop for following through with the investigate instead of automatically accepting an excuse of car trouble. Had this cop accepted the excuse and he was drunk, then got back on the road and killed someone or himself, where would that leave the cop?

Finally, how much weaving or bad driving equals drunk driving? The best judge I have is how safe I feel with this person on the road. I followed a car today that was weaving in its lane (but not crossing into on coming traffic or driving on the shoulder) and their speed varied from 40-60 mph. I left the person alone. While not very good driving, I didn't feel as though this person was a threat. The last time I called, the driver crossed the yellow and white lines multiple times, had a variable speed, ran a stop sign and nearly hit me. She ended up with a blood alcohol content of right around .20%. Where I live the max is .08%. The best I can say is if you are unsure, its better to call and inconvience someone than to let it go and risk the lives of so many othe people.

Hell i've called in a few, usually with most car trouble you can tell if it is that, I call in anyone that is swerving in an out and sometimes it ends up to be someone tired or old people, but if your a hazzard you should get the fuck off the road.

I'm not sure about other States, but in Ohio, you can call 1-800-GRAB-DUI

I have called 911 from my cell phone to report a drunk driver before. The officer caught up with us and observed the driver's conduct himself so he could state in his report that he personally observed the erratic driving and initiated the stop.

This makes his case more solid and has the added bonus I don't need to be involved.

I know the local number for the dispatch for my city since my friend works there, and I choose to call that instead of 911. However, 911 is still the number to call to report anything. There's no such thing as too safe.

Okay... This is so US. I can't even imagine a Swede having that state of mind... We can barely have a glass of wine and drive. The limit's 0.2 º% for drunk driving in Sweden... There are no bars out in the middle of nowhere...

If I spot someone who could be a danger to themselves or others - I don't hesitate to call the police, even though it feels "wrong" to do so.
(Yes - drunken drivers or just morons - they are all the same to me, they are a hazard to others)

I would definitely call it in! If there is even a slight risk that a drunk driver is going to kill him/herself or worst still someone else then it should be reported.

I would urge everyone to call. I wouldn't be annoyed if I was wrongly pulled over in the name of safety.

I've known a few people who have been killed by drunk drivers. Yes, more than one. The last was about 1 year ago; a drunk driver crossed the center line and hit one of my wife's very good friends head on. The drunk of course survived, while our friend was killed, leaving behind a husband and 3 small children. It is one of those events that make you wonder why something so horrible would happen to such a good person.

I have ridden my Harley across the country several times. I have seen a lot more erratic driving from people talking on cell phones than drunk drivers. Of course the cell phone talkers may have been drunk too for all I know.

You folks that are calling in these reports are pulling off the road before dialing I hope.

I don't think it's right to set the limit so low that you have to wait an hour after a glass of wine with dinner before you can drive home. The almost universal .08 limit, and the more restrictive .06 limit worked fine for years, and drunk drivers would always be over that limit when caught. It's fairly obvious to me that if offenders are always over the current limit, that a more restrictive limit is not the answer. I'd hardly consider .02 drunk. At .08, I'd say you're intoxicated, but still not really drunk. I think the answer is to step up the punishment for DUI. I'm not a big fan of mandatory sentencing limits, but I think that anyone found to be drinking and driving should be punished by a 30-day license revocation and mandatory AA meetings in that time. I'm not saying that anyone who drinks and drives is an alcoholic, but it's the same idea as taking delinquent kids to visit a prison to give them a dose of reality and show them why they have to shape up.

I also have issues with field sobriety tests. I can pass a field sobriety test (did it just for fun, didn't go anywhere near a car,) after over 15 drinks. I have a high natural alcohol tolerance. I don't register on a breathylizer (once again, just for fun, didn't go near a car,) until my third or fourth drink. I don't drive for at least 6 horus after drinking, even if I've only had a few, just in case something happens.

Unfortunately no, I have a friend who drives home drunk regularly after he has gone out drinking. We all know it’s bad and we even steal the keys off him when he gets really bad, but he is a mate I couldn’t bring myself to actually call the cops. Worst of all I’ve gotten a lift home off him while he’s been drunk on many occasions.

How are you going to feel when he injures or kills someone? What if it was your wife or child that he killed?

You see a drunk driver, so you pick up your cell phone to call them in........ who is more impaired?
-please pull over if you are going to make a call on the road.

I wouldn't call. Mainly because I no longer have a cell phone.

Is it worth the risk not too, you should call in ANY dangerous driving because if you're drunk or you car isn't functioning properly you are endangering other peoples lives and that pisses me off

I report everyone who drives like an idiot. If you put me in danger because you wear the dumbass hat behind the wheel of a 2000lb car then I'll do everything I can to ensure you are not tolerated.

I had a moron pass me in the inside lane (emergency lane) of I-75N the other night in a very tight location. So tight in fact he hit the sidewall an threw out a wall of sparks for about 15 ft as an continued along that path. He then cut back into traffic which was slow moving at 40-45mph and slung it across four lanes of traffic. He then proceeded to bail out across two more lanes to get to the I-74E exit and threw more sparks and he hit the guard rails leading down the ramp. Oh yeah -- license number, make, model and last seen direction reported to 911. He was clearly a threat to everyone else on the road.

Obvious drunks get reported so if you drink..don't drive...if you drive...don't drink. :mad:

Very good advice. Drunk drivers are as dangerous as people who drive while using their cell phones. There are probably a lot fewer of them out there though.

We live in a small enough place that I'lll probably see the car again. If I do I'll mention to the driver that he used his one free life.

There are a lot more dangerous people on the road than drunks. People drive with their knees while eating bugers and talking on their phones. People drive 10 hours with no rest or drive when they can barely keep their eyes open. People are driving while swating at their kids. People are driving while having sex. People are watching movies! ....These people should loose their licences just as quickly as drunks.

I almost called in 1 drunk driver but decided not to. I was behind them on the highway, and they were drifting back and forth really badly. I decided to speed up and leave them behind, so I waited until they were far away from my lane and gunned it. When I was ahead pretty far I looked back in my mirror and saw them pulling to the side of the road, my guess was to puke.

Looking back on that situation I should have called it in. I was thinking selfishly that I needed to get where ever I was going. But if my call could save a life I should have really called. I rationalized to myself that I don't even know who to call in a situation like that but 911 is totally ok for that case. A cop pulling that person over could really help save a life - either the driver's or some other random victim of drunk driving.

No, because it's pointless to call and report other drivers.

The cops never do anything about it anyway.

In my years of driving 60+ miles a day to and from work on the freeway, I've reported TONS of idiots with road rage. I bet you not a single thing was done about em.

Put it this way: they take 20-30 minutes to respond to more important matters (like domestic issues). Not only that, but the driver is on the move. Kinda hard to pinpoint 30 minutes after the fact.

Always do. I saw one accident happen where a drunk driver hit another car, and I was the first on the scene. I will never forget the blood and screaming from the victims. Plus, one of my buddies is a trooper, and he said they get a lot of arrests from people calling in drunks.

Stompy, it's easy for the patrol to catch them. You give the direction they are headed, make of car and plate number, if you can, and I know they will have him quick enough.

Of course I do.

It's one less cop out there to pull me over while I'm driving drunk.

Is that bad karma?

I never know who to call. I've seen some dangerous drivers out there, only a couple who i suspected were drunk, and debated whether i should call them in. 911 is reseved for emergencies, and I was scolded by the operator before for calling in when my house was burgled.

I suspect the problem is there needs to be a phone number like 911 for non-emergency situations. Of course, a drunk driver can become an emergency situation in a hurry, but I was never sure whether to call 911 or the police department... and really, who knows the phone number for the police department off the top of their head?

Have done and would do so again. That being said, on the two occasions that I reported someone, they were in a really bad state, one guy was weaving all over the road, crossing the center line, and had already glanced off of a parked car.

The other guy I saw trying to get into his car, he spent 10 minutes trying to get the key into the ignition and then pulled off. As soon as he started the engine I rang the local police.

XDA

Exactly what I was wondering about. I would worry about taking up a 911 line if its something that you just should call a regular number for. So for those who have done it, was it 911 or another police number? Do they ever get upset at you for using up a 911 line for calling something like that in?

Yes. Havn't seen one yet though.

What is a police officer supposed to do with a report of road rage? You would have to be one stupid son of a bitch to display road rage when you get pulled over. It's your word against his.

If you call in a drunk driver, at least try to make an effort to stay behind the person and give up-to-date information to the dispatcher. It makes an officer's job so much easier.

Probably very vey bad and i'll probably regret it for the rest of my life, but as I said he is a mate I couldn't bring myself to call the cops on him. We try to deter him as much as we can and he has gotten a bit better by not driving home drunk but we can't always keep and eye on his comings and goings.

If someone is driving while drunk, it's an emergency because they can take out another car, a pedestrian, or anything in the general vicinity of the road at any time. They won't get pissed off if you're reporting a crime.

no i do not phone them in unless you see some one driving VERY erracticly.

This is one subject in society that is far too over rated. People should shut up about it. Christ, people get more time in jail for a drunk driving charge then they dof ror beating the shit out of some one.

I call them in from my job - I work nights at a gas station, if they come in drunk, I call the police. The drunks usually let me call them a cab before I follow through with my verbal threat of calling the police, though. I'm nice, I park their cars in our employee lot, and leave them there. Most people are greatful.

Yep, I have called the cops once so far because the kids in the car were obviously sloshed.

They should get more time in jail for drunk driving, it's a crime that's not taken seriously enough, otherwise people wouldn't so readily do it. You think getting behind the wheel of a car, when you are in no condition to drive, and potentially kill someone else, or yourself is overrated?

The punishement for drunk drivers, especially drunk drivers who kill someone is pitifully low. Not overrated at all

In Norway you can call 02800 - and get in touch with the local policedepartment. (It's not an emergency number, but suitable for most calls)

I only reported one drunk driver. That's partly because I don't carry or even own a cell phone. The one time I reported it is when I saw someone leaving a bar and he couldn't even find the driveway. He just drove over the curb and swerved onto the road in front of me and even bumped over the opposite curb. I KNEW he was totally drunk. I was almost home so I grabbed his liscense plate number and called the cops as soon as I got home. Don't know if he got nabbed or not but I never saw a report in the paper the next day of an accident the night before. I'd like to think it's cause I got a drunk off the road.

Also I have not driven while drunk ever. If hubby and I ever have anything to drink, he and I take turns and one of us is always the "designated driver". Neither one of us are crazy about the feeling that alcohol gives us so we rarely drink. Even if we go to a bar with friends often both of us will have soda or I will get an energy drink. I like the feeling an energy drink gives me much more than alcohol.

I feel responsible to call, I mean, what if they got into an accident and nuked somebody I loved. I dont personally like to get totally trashed, but I have nothing against it, just so long as they dont get behind the wheel. I have a buddy who is a volunteer fireman, hes seen some real nasty accidents, some of them casued by drunk drivers (all though the worst one was a one car accident, car v. big 'ol tree)

why should one be able to beat teh daylights out of some one and go away for 10 days and if you get caught with a DUI you get 30 days? No one injured in teh DUI at all and yet the guy that gets beat up gets a broken nose and is off work for a month.

EXPLAIN!

I''d have to agree with this one, there's nothing more distracting than a good BJ on the highway. ;)

Even as a person who at one point in time went through being charged with a DUI i think it's really important. Mine was a bunch of nonsense (i blew less than .01 but was under 21), but it really is dangerous, and although i think it's a cop out to blame your own stupidity on booze, it really does impair your ability to reason properly and react as quickly.

I consider drunk driving as nothing less than attempted manslaughter, so I would definitely report the guy. I would hate to not do anything and then have him kill or main some innocent person later on.

I am all for drunk driving = automatic 2-week jail term or more (and I LOVE to drink, but it's not that hard to keep them separate).

I havent been in that situation....a few times before cell phones came about...but not since that I have noticed...but I definately would if I suspected it. When Dave and I go out one of us is always the DD...we take turns...

on another note about cell phones and out of state....Me and him were driving up to Ashville one weekend and we'd left after work on a Friday...we were driving on the main road (I know it well but cant remember the hwy #) and a truck had dropped a container (a HUGE container, heavy plastic not metal) in the middle of the road...I didnt see it happen but it was dark grey so I didnt see it until I was almost on it, FORTUNATELY I could swerve into the emergency lane to go around it...I dialed 911 and the operator knew which road I was on...I just narrowed down which exit I was near.

so you are saying that this is worht more time behind bars then assault ?

I have twice had the opportunity to inform authorities about drunk drivers. Once, I called from my cell phone and described all of the information.
Another time I was driving on a two lane road and the person in front of me was swerving all over the road. After a few miles, he slammed on his brakes to a complete stop in the middle of the road for a few seconds, and then peeled out and accelerated forward. I can't say with 100% accuracy if the driver was actually drunk, but I would have put money on it. We eventually passed two cops on the side of the road, so I pulled over, and informed the officers of the driver's behavior. Then, they both began pursuing the car, and after a few miles, the car pulled over.
I have, and always will report drunk drivers to authorities, just like I would report bad posts to moderators if I was in the position.

I have to say something here. And everything I say will be based on a .01% limit sine that’s the basis for my education. .008 is only 20% less, so multiply everything I say with .8 and you will be close.

I tip the scales at 220. Based on that and the fact that I am a male and the math works out to 6 drinks in a 2 hour time period for me to be at .01%. That’s using a 4 oz. Glass of wine, a 12 oz. Regular beer or a 1.5 oz. Shot of 80 proof liquor. Dark beer, 100 proof liquor, etc. change the math. And women have a lower thresh hold due to their body fat composition.

I’ve seen the tests. A group of people learns a test track for an entire day, practicing over and over. The next day they drink until they are at .01% and then drive the track. They suck. Part of the reason is that they feel so confident but don’t understand their level of impairment. It is amazing how this works. .008% is very close to .01%, close enough that the impairment and false confidence is apparent. And yes, there are exceptions and some people can handle more, but not the majority. And remember when you get behind the wheel of an average car, you are operating a 3-ton missile that can travel in excess of 100 mph. The terrorists figured that out with planes and 9/11. We were too naive to think you could use a commercial jet as a weapon of mass destruction!

Your body processes alcohol two ways – through the lungs and through the kidneys. It does so at the relative rate of a drink per hour. It would take a few drinks to register on a Breathalyzer test because you have to get enough in your system and your system has to begin processing. Field sobriety tests are pretty lame and used only to determine if someone should be held for a legal test. These include a Breathalyzer or a blood test, your choice.

All that said, I strongly agree with you that we need to step up the consequences of drunk driving. Most states suspend your license for a short period of time, hit you with a hefty fine and send you to an educational program, a whole weekend in Michigan. That works for many. For the second offenders I say toss the book at them. They have obviously not learned or forgotten that driving is a privilege.

So you don't have to limit yourself to one drink unless the math works out. And then, well, you just have to face the facts!

i ceartainly dont try to judge a bac.....

but if some dumb ass cant drive or is in fornt of me and driving eraticly in front of me and therefor could hurt me if somthing did go wrong i have no problem calling 911 and saying yeah im behind a drunk driver... i usually try and follow till the law shows up...

i have called a couple times for verry young kids not being seatbelted.. or in car seats... crawling all in the backwindow haging out the windows crawling on the drivers lap..

nothing happened to the seat belt guys..

I've done it twice, I probably wouldn't have ever noticed except for the fact that they tried to run me off the ROAD! I have no problem calling the cops, there is always that fear I will see a drunk driver one night, do nothing about it, and wake up to a news story of that drunk driver killing some innocent victim. The thought of me being able to help out and not doing shit about it, would really drive me insane.