following obviously drunk driver- what to do?

[alecrain]

Just today, driving east on M1 (in the 80km/h zone -roadworks) I was tailgated by a Statesman, he was very close behind me and I noticed that the car wasn't going in a straight line. Moments later roadworks ended so I sped up to 100km/h to get away and he sped up and overtook me on the left (doing at least 120-130) and wasn't using his indicators properly then got stuck just in front of me and tailgated another driver, still driving in a slight zigzag, sometimes crossing the lines.

I followed him till he exited the freeway.

Now, what do you do in those situations?

Can you call the police and follow him until they catch him?
Do you just call them afterwards and give them the details?
Do you just assume that he didn't have wheels properly aligned- thus not driving straight?

Has anyone had a similar experience?

[snappy]

I usually would slow down give them plenty of space avoid him/her. Not the responsible thing to do i know as you stated you dont know the circumstance. But if it was really eratic driving i would like to say id call the cops.

[billkara]

i was in the same situation a few weeks back. two lanes turning right, i was in the left lane, and he was in the right lane. saw him mount the gutter whilst turning and thought that it was just driver stupidity. let him merge in front and saw him slightly weaving and swerving across the road. i thought is he drunk or did he smash up his alignment mounting that huge gutter. didnt know what to do as i thought what if he did damage his car or he is just drunk... so after ummmming and uhhhing, saw him pull into an rsl club and park his car. he got out stumbling across the carpark and into the rsl as he was blind drunk... my mate had to restrain me from doing something i wouldve regretted...

[pertuan]

I'd call the cops and make sure he gets done.

[BeStRaFe]

i also call the police and report the driver,
sometimes you get lucky i once had the cops arrive when i was still driving behind him

[RegSpec]

Back in the days before mobiles.....
I followed a guy down the Kingsway into Cronulla one night, afraid to pass him because he was all over the road.....
Figuring we cant do anything about it....may as well follow him and watch the inevitable chaos as he goes straight to the scene of the accident .... just in case we can help you know :yeees:
Got about another 2 kms before running into back of a parked car....he was doing about 60-70 ks when he just veered into it....didnt even brake....****head opened to door "fell" out of the car.....

[Yellow_Festiva]

This happened to me earlier this year.

Called the police to report them, stated make and model, and direction they were going. It was on the M5 towards Sydney so I thought they would be on top of it asap.

After 20km, and passing a few M5 entry points no police were ever spotted. The guy Eventually pulled over and just sat at the side of the rd.

I was chatting to a police friend a few weeks later, and she informed me that in those situations generally nothing is done.....

Next time I see a drunk on the road I won't bother calling.

[Riksta]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

I was chatting to a police friend a few weeks later, and she informed me that in those situations generally nothing is done.....

That's pretty appalling, you think they could run a rego check on the car and get the address of the owner, and work out that if they're heading home, they should be home in x-minutes, and have a car sitting across their driveway to get them. Would send a real message out to drink drivers everywhere. I have a VERY low tolerance for drink driving, sure I admit I've got "The Hoon" in me every now and then, but one thing I will NEVER do is drive drunk.

I remember I was driving a few years back with a mate in the car with me, we were coming down from Mt Lofty via the Greenhill Road route, car in front of me was absolutely shocking, veering all over the road, practically stopping at corners before going round and then going round taking up both lanes - mate called the cops and gave them the rego number and stuff, dunno if anything was done.

[flappist]

It is really strange how this forum is full of people whinging about dobbing in people they THINK are drunk or hooning or whatever and 30 seconds later whinging about being dobbed by some nosey bastard who thought they must be hoons or drunk or because their cars have stripes and mag wheels like all the hoon cars and they were swerving all over the road to avoid potholes damaging their rims or stones chipping their paint because the person who dobbed thought they knew what was going on but actually had no idea and just ASSUMED.

This the how the harold scrooby nazis get their support.

MIND YOUR OWN FAR KING BUSINESS and let others mind theirs.

This dobber, blame everyone else mentality really is pathetic.

[kocho]

Is it pathetic when a hoon or erratic driver kills someone?

[Tuddy200]

Originally Posted by flappist

It is really strange how this forum is full of people whinging about dobbing in people they THINK are drunk or hooning or whatever and 30 seconds later whinging about being dobbed by some nosey bastard who thought they must be hoons or drunk or because their cars have stripes and mag wheels like all the hoon cars and they were swerving all over the road to avoid potholes damaging their rims or stones chipping their paint because the person who dobbed thought they knew what was going on but actually had no idea and just ASSUMED.

This the how the harold scrooby nazis get their support.

MIND YOUR OWN FAR KING BUSINESS and let others mind theirs.

This dobber, blame everyone else mentality really is pathetic.

I'd agree with you if it was someone dobbing in someone else to the EPA just because they have a loud exhuast or maybe someone let their rear end swing out through a very quiet intersection, but possibility of drink driving, I wouldn't risk it.

If they aren't drunk, they'll get pulled over, breathe tested, if clean, left alone to continue. Assuming they arn't all over the road because they aren't skilled in the art of driving. Drink Driving or High Speeds or a guy hanging dounts in a carpark with cars should always be reported, thats someones life or property you could be gambling away, i'd rather be known as a "dobber" then have guilt from someones death if they were drunk.

[davocol]

This happened to me once, as I was one the phone to the police telling them his location he swerved on the opposite side of the road clipped an oncoming car and rolled his ute, as a consequence he flew threw the windscreen and was killed as he slammed into the pavement. Call the police, if the person is doing the right thing they have nothing to worry about.

[BA-XT]

Move out of the way.... infact, slow down and move out of the way all together. I don't know if I'd call the police, as they need to find him and by the time the cops catch up he may have already left.

I've seen some things when driving a truck, but not to the point that people have described here.

I wouldn't follow him, and I wouldn't tailgate him either!!

[deesun]

I have dobbed in a few drunk drivers in my time and am proud of it. Only once have I had to follow one for a short time to his home. Police asked me on the phone if I was willing to make a statement to his erratic driving and I agreed. They turned up shortly after and knocked on his door. At least three other times I have been at work (retail store open late) when we have seen people obviously drunk or affected by drugs and have been able to call police and have them come round and wait for them to get in their car. Once I physically ripped the keys out of a womans hands to stop her from driving. I would do the same in a millisecond. One young girl recorded a .36 and lived 25 klms away so there was an extremly high chance of her crashing and or worse.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by kocho

Is it pathetic when a hoon or erratic driver kills someone?

No more pathetic than when a sober passive driver kills someone.

Or when a 19 year old P plater with a modified falcon falcon kills someone.

There has been a 19 year old in a modded falcon that has killed someone at some point in time so should YOU be dobbed as a threat, after all that is YOU isn't it?

Or am I assuming that because of your age and car they you must be a P plate hoon and threat to society rather that actually finding out the truth?

[Wally]

Originally Posted by alecrain

.............Has anyone had a similar experience?

I think most of us have experienced something similar. How do you know he was drunk? He might have had a head in his lap.

[Fev]

i dont swerve when theres a head in my lap!

[BENT_8]

I witnessed a so called friend driving drunk one night years ago, he was on his way to a party we were going to.
Later that night he said he was driving home, we tried to get his keys off him but he refused so i let his tyres down before i went home.
Got up the next morning to find the ariel on my EA snapped off and a large scratch down the full length of my car.
Turns out some do gooder told him what i had done and egged him on to retalliate whilst intoxicated.

[Fev]

i hope you took a brick to his car - or his head...

[tex]

If you're in a crap box, or a vehicle with a dirty great bull bar, Ram 'em.

Just like the yanky coppers do to spin out cars during a pursuit.

If they swerve, or they tailgate, or they overtake, they MUST be drunk afterall. they deserve to be rammed.

Don't they?

[Fev]

i think your missing the point - being responsible or not lol

[mik]

your doing them a favour by ringing the cops, a, they may not be drunk but fatigued or ill, b, they are drunk and more than likely will hurt someone or themselves.

[Nickxb]

Originally Posted by flappist

No more pathetic than when a sober passive driver kills someone.

Or when a 19 year old P plater with a modified falcon falcon kills someone.

There has been a 19 year old in a modded falcon that has killed someone at some point in time so should YOU be dobbed as a threat, after all that is YOU isn't it?

Or am I assuming that because of your age and car they you must be a P plate hoon and threat to society rather that actually finding out the truth?

You obviously have a self minded attitude and don’t care about society functioning together.

[ratter]

Originally Posted by Fev

i dont swerve when theres a head in my lap!

2 questions


How do you get your head into your own lap?

How do you see the road while your head is in your lap?




:

[SeXC]

Originally Posted by ratter

2 questions


How do you get your head into your own lap?

How do you see the road while your head is in your lap?




:

you dont, hence the swerving!

[Fev]

Originally Posted by ratter

2 questions


How do you get your head into your own lap?

How do you see the road while your head is in your lap?




:

when theres 'A' head

[TOASTED]

Originally Posted by Fev

when theres 'A' head

hope fully "A" female head :

[SiKoRa_eL_97]

ok a bit off topic.. but i had about 2-3 drinks and as im on my P's i wasnt able to drive home luckly there was a cop shop near by and i asked if i could take a breathliser. They refused to give me one and wouldnt give me a proper reason they said " Were to busy" mind you this was 3.30am in LILYDALE and the place was empty... Well i wasnt drunk or anything but i would have had a blood alcohol level of 0.1-0.3. i didnt end up driving home.. but i wanna know why they didnt want to test me so i would no roughly when i could go..

[TERRY TORRY]

The thing that frightens me is he might pull a gun an deHEAD you. I came across a drunk and thank GOD he was bogged on the side of the road and wanted a push out. I told him he was safer where he was and left him. Would the blue people give a dam? I often wonder when I see the "Ring whatever if you see an accident that hasn"t happened yet" and ring us. Would they breatherilise you and go over your car instead of going after the culprit.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by SiKoRa_eL_97

ok a bit off topic.. but i had about 2-3 drinks and as im on my P's i wasnt able to drive home luckly there was a cop shop near by and i asked if i could take a breathliser. They refused to give me one and wouldnt give me a proper reason they said " Were to busy" mind you this was 3.30am in LILYDALE and the place was empty... Well i wasnt drunk or anything but i would have had a blood alcohol level of 0.1-0.3. i didnt end up driving home.. but i wanna know why they didnt want to test me so i would no roughly when i could go..

No fun in that unless your behind the wheel i guess, when they can fine you afterwards...