Drunk drivers are a plague on American roads. Everybody needs to do their part to make sure that we keep drunk drivers off the road as much as possible. You can help by recognizing intoxicated drivers on sight and reporting them.
Drunk drivers tend to behave in specific ways when on the roads. While not all of the signs 100% guarantee that a driver is drunk, recognizing many of them means that the chance is high. According to MADD, you should recognize the signs and know what to do to report drunk drivers when you see them.
The general signs
Drunk drivers will behave erratically. For instance, you may see a driver that is straddling the line markers or potentially drifting between lanes for no apparent reason. They may also use their turn signals incorrectly or abruptly stop or turn. Sometimes, drunk drivers will drift off into the opposing lane of traffic and consistently come close to striking objects near the road. They may drive on the shoulder or median.
What to do when you suspect drunk driving
Remember to protect yourself first. You should focus on getting away from the drunk driver so you do not end up in an accident. If it is possible and safe, try to get the license plate number of the driver and remember any pertinent details about the car, such as color, model and make. If there are any identifying characteristics of the car or driver beyond this, try to remember those, too.
Pull over and call the police, giving them identifying information as well as the direction the driver is going. This will help the police track the driver down, making the roads safer for us all.