Detecting DUI Drivers
How to Steer clear of potentially impaired drivers and stay safe.



According to the DWI detection guide put out by the U.S. Department of Transportation and its National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are many common, telltale signs that can help identify a drunk driver. Police departments and state patrols around the country use this guide to identify and stop potential drunk drivers before they cause accidents.

The NHTSA's identifying factors are divided into four categories: Problems in maintaining lane position, speed and braking problems, vigilance problems, and judgment problems. Here are some potentially lifesaving factors to look for in identifying drunks and steering clear:

Problems in maintaining lane position. If you see signs of erratic steering or an inability of the driver to keep a straight path in his or her lane, be wary. Weaving across lanes, straddling two lanes, riding over lane lines, swerving for no apparent reason, or drifting toward the shoulder or into another lane are all signs that you may be sharing the road with a drunk driver. Almost striking a vehicle or another object, or swinging too wide during a turn, are other potential indicators of a drunk driver.


Speed and braking problems. Braking smoothly becomes a more difficult task for impaired drivers, so look for general problems with stopping, like jerkiness or stopping in too short of long of a distance than needed. Maintaining speed also becomes more challenging for drunk drivers, so also look for drivers that accelerate or decelerate quickly for no apparent reason, or drivers that are going more than ten miles per hour under the speed limit.

Vigilance problems. This simply means that the driver is unable to pay attention to driving. An impaired driver might forget simple elements of driving that sober people find hard to forget. Examples are driving at night without the headlights on, going the wrong way down one way streets or highway ramps, or responding slowly to traffic signals. Another more certain sign is if the driver is stopped in a lane for no apparent reason, looking confused, bewildered, or tired.

Judgment problems. Alcohol can impair a driver's judgment of what is safe and what is not. Drunk drivers will often take risks that endanger other peoples' lives as well as their own. Examples of this is following another vehicle too closely, or making unsafe lane changes like cutting off other vehicles and appearing unaware of any problem. Any erratic behavior like making sudden, erratic turns, jumping medians, or violating no-turn laws can signal a drunk behind the wheel.

What you should do
Seeing any of these identifying factors, you should prepare to take evasive action to avoid trouble or any unpredictable move that the suspected drunk driver might make. If you see two or more of the above factors, the driver is probably drunk, and it's your responsibility to save the lives of other drivers and alert the police. But don't take anything into your own hands.



Keep your distance: Don't get close to the suspected drunk driver. Never try to pass, as the driver may unknowingly swerve into your lane or into your car.

Get out of the way: If the suspected drunk driver is behind you, make a right turn at the next intersection where it's safe to do so, so that the car can pass.



Take evasive action: If any vehicle is ever coming head-on in your lane, move to the right shoulder, come to a complete stop as quickly as possible, honk your horn and blink your headlights.

Get the license plate number and call 911: If the drunk driver is ahead of you, don't get in an accident trying to catch up, and don't get too close. If you can read the license plate from where you are, have a passenger write it down, then pull over in a safe place and call in the license plate number, along with a description of the car and the behavior you saw, to the police.



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