Reporting a dangerous or drunk driver starts with dialing 911. Pull over or allow a passenger in your car to make the call. Try to provide the dispatcher with as much information as possible, including details about the driver’s alarming behavior, the license plate number, vehicle description, and direction of travel.
Dangerous and drunk drivers endanger the lives of everyone on the road. They breach the duty of every motorist to operate their vehicle safely. So, by doing your part and reporting the reckless behavior of other drivers, you can help prevent car accidents and save lives by getting these drivers off the road.
What Actions Make Them Dangerous to Other Drivers?
Reporting a dangerous driver can protect you and other drivers from the careless actions of irresponsible motorists. However, some drivers question what unsafe driving behaviors need to be reported to the authorities.
Actions that can make driving hazardous to other road users that deserve to be reported to law enforcement can include the following:
- Weaving across traffic lanes
- Going way too fast or excessive speeding
- Texting while driving
- Driving while impaired
- Driving the wrong way on one-way streets
- Running stop signs and red lights
- Throwing things at pedestrians or other cars.
Risky driving behaviors can kill. Data from the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety shows that out of the 1,670 fatal crashes in Georgia over one year, 49 percent involved at least one driver who was driving in a risky way, such as speeding or driving while impaired by alcohol and/or drugs.
What Should I Do to Keep Myself Safe When Near a Dangerous Driver?
To keep yourself safe when you are near a dangerous driver, you must first avoid engaging with the other motorist. Dangerous and drunk drivers can be unpredictable and may decide to escalate their behavior with even more hazardous maneuvers or cause a road rage incident. So, keeping a safe distance from the dangerous driver and reporting the behavior to the authorities is best. Use caution when changing lanes and always stay alert because drunk or reckless drivers tend to use poor judgment.
It can be frustrating sharing the road with a drunk or reckless driver. However, because these individuals can be unpredictable, responding with anger or calling them out on their behavior can turn tragic. You can stay safe by staying calm. Pull over to a secure location if you feel unsafe or your anger increases. You can calm down and wait for them to pass.
Being a defensive driver can also help you manage situations involving dangerous Georgia drivers. Defensive driving techniques that may help you navigate a frightening situation can include the following:
- Stay alert and be aware of your surroundings
- Use clear signals
- Follow all traffic signs and signals
- Maintain a safe distance from other drivers
- When in doubt, yield to aggressive drivers
- Slow down
- Avoid or remove yourself from the path of drunk or aggressive drivers.
If a drunk driving accident occurs, remain in your vehicle and contact law enforcement to report the accident. If you feel unsafe, wait for the authorities to arrive before exiting your vehicle or exchanging information with the other driver.
What Should You Do If You Suspect a Driver Cannot Drive Safely?
If you suspect that a driver is no longer mentally or physically able to drive safely, you must contact local law enforcement and give them as much information about the driver as possible. Do not follow the impaired driver or attempt to get the driver to pull over or stop. Often, dangerous and drunk drivers do not respond well to confrontation and may turn their rage on you. Allow law enforcement or local authorities to manage the situation. Do not intervene.
Information that can be vital to law enforcement when you report a dangerous driver can include the following:
- Make, model, and color of the vehicle
- License plate number
- Identifying marks, decals, stickers, or body damage
- Description of the driver
- The location where you witnessed dangerous behavior
- Description of the behavior
- Direction of travel.
Provide as many details as possible and be specific. If you suspect a driver may have an emergency medical situation impairing their mental or physical ability to operate their vehicle safely, notify law enforcement so emergency services can respond to the scene.
If the driver causes an accident, document the scene as thoroughly as possible with photographs and evidence (and keep this information for a car accident lawyer to review as part of your car accident claim). Wait for law enforcement to respond before confronting or engaging with the other driver. Drunk, impaired, or dangerous drivers may react with aggression or violent behavior. They may also attempt to flee the scene of the accident. Take down as much information as possible, but do not prevent them from leaving the scene.
Drunk and dangerous drivers can face significant criminal penalties in the form of DUI or reckless driving charges. Depending on the circumstances and history of previous offenses, a conviction can result in steep fines, jail or prison time, and the loss of an individual’s driver’s license. The fear of legal repercussions — whether through criminal prosecution or a car accident lawsuit, or both — can lead some drivers to engage in other unsafe or illegal behaviors, such as leaving the scene of an accident or committing violence against another person they fear will report their actions to law enforcement.
Contact a Georgia Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer
Reckless or drunk driving accidents kill. You can do your part to protect yourself and others by reporting dangerous or drunk drivers with a call to 911. If an accident does occur, the personal injury attorneys at Sherrod & Bernard, P.C., can help you hold the at-fault driver accountable and pursue compensation for your injuries. We have over 85 years of combined legal experience and an extensive track record of helping Georgia accident victims recover the money they deserve.
Reputation, respect, and results: We’ve built our firm to stand on it. To learn more, contact our office today and receive a free consultation.
