We’ve all been witness to drivers who behave as if the road belongs only to them. Tailgating, brake-checking, and erratically swerving in and out of traffic in an attempt to show off their “sweet” driving skills. This behavior goes beyond annoying; it’s dangerous. If you find yourself sharing the road with an aggressive or unstable driver, here’s what you should do.
Keep a Safe Distance
It’s tempting to give the driver a taste of their own medicine, but it may end up costing both of you a ticket, an accident, or your lives. It’s not worth the risk of giving a driver a dose of karma.
Safely Obtain Information
If possible, obtain the make, model, color, and license plate number of the driver, but do so safely. Again, it’s not worth getting into an accident yourself in an attempt to get this information. If you are riding with a passenger, ask them to take down the details so that you can keep your eyes on the road.
Report Them to Local Police
Once you have the information, call the local police and report the driver. Also, don’t try to be a hero and take matters into your own hands. Let local authorities will deal with the driver.
Dealing with Drunk Drivers
While one could argue that any kind of distracted, impaired, or reckless driving is irresponsible, spotting and reporting drunken driving deserves can immediately save lives. On average, a drunk driver has driven drunk 80 times before they are caught by police (source).
How can you tell if someone is driving drunk? Common actions are zig-zagging across the road, drifting into the other lane, not responding to traffic signals, and driving too fast or too slow. If you notice any of these actions, safely get the make, model, color, and license plate of their vehicle and call 911.
Defensive driving is a skill that is useful to all drivers. By taking an online or in-person driver improvement course at A1 Driver, you are learning the skills needed to safely handle tough driving situations. Plus you’ll earn driving points which may help lower your cost of insurance.