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What to Do If You’re Worried Someone Is Driving Impaired

If a driver may be impaired, prioritize safety: call 911 in the U.S. about an immediate road danger, report what you observed, and never chase or confront the vehicle. If someone has not set off, help arrange a sober ride.

By CarCody Team 3 min read
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If a vehicle is being driven dangerously right now, get yourself to a safe place and call 911 in the United States. Don’t follow, block, or confront the driver. Tell the call taker where the vehicle is, which way it is going if you know, and what you actually observed. If someone you know has not started driving, focus on stopping the trip and arranging a sober ride.

If an impaired driver is on the road now

When a driver’s behavior creates an immediate danger, report it to law enforcement. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says to call 911 if you see an impaired driver on the road in its August 18, 2026 release. In the United States, 911.gov defines an emergency as a situation requiring immediate assistance from police, fire, or ambulance services.

Make the call without adding risk

  1. If you are driving, pull over somewhere safe first. Do not handle a phone while driving. A passenger can call while the driver continues to operate the vehicle safely; NHTSA also advises pulling over safely before calling law enforcement.
  2. Keep your distance. Do not chase, tailgate, block, or confront the vehicle. Report what you observed from a safe location rather than trying to intervene on the road.
  3. Give the call taker factual details. Share your location, callback number, what is happening, and—if known—the vehicle’s description and direction of travel. Describe observable behavior, such as drifting across lanes or erratic speed changes. 911.gov notes that call takers may ask for location, phone number, the nature of the emergency, and descriptive details; answer their questions and follow their instructions.
  4. Do not guess at the cause. You do not need to identify a substance or prove that the driver is impaired to report dangerous behavior. Say what you saw, not what you cannot know.

911 is the U.S. emergency number; numbers and procedures differ elsewhere. If the concern is not immediate, a local law-enforcement non-emergency channel may be appropriate. Check the relevant local agency for its reporting options.

If someone you know is about to drive

If the person has not started the trip, try to prevent it before it becomes a road emergency. NHTSA recommends not letting someone who has been drinking get behind the wheel, taking their keys, and helping arrange a sober ride home. Keep the conversation calm, and do not get into a physical confrontation. If the person has already driven away or poses an immediate threat, call law enforcement or 911 and give factual information; do not put yourself in danger trying to stop a moving vehicle.

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What to report—and what not to assume

Impairment can involve alcohol, cannabis, other drugs, or some prescription and over-the-counter medicines. NHTSA explains that side effects such as drowsiness or dizziness can affect driving, and combining substances may amplify impairment. A driver may also be affected by alcohol before looking or feeling drunk, and people cannot reliably judge their own impairment. A claim that someone feels fine does not settle whether their driving is safe.

These points are reasons to focus on the driving, not to diagnose the person. Report the specific conduct that concerns you—unsafe lane control, erratic driving, or another observed hazard—and leave conclusions about the substance or impairment level to authorities.

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Arrange a safer ride before anyone sets off

NHTSA recommends using a designated sober driver, taxi, or ride-hailing service instead of driving after alcohol or another impairing substance. Which options are available depends on where you are. For a ride-hailing pickup, NHTSA advises waiting in a safe place away from the roadway, checking that the vehicle and license plate match the booking, and confirming the driver’s identity before getting in. See NHTSA’s safe-ride guidance.

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Why prompt, factual reporting matters

Alcohol-impaired driving remains a serious U.S. road-safety risk. NHTSA reported that 11,904 people died in crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver in the United States in 2024, representing 30% of traffic fatalities that year; it also reported that one person died every 44 minutes in such a crash. Those figures describe alcohol-impaired-driving crashes, not all crashes involving drugs or medication.

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For practical prevention and alcohol-related guidance, see NHTSA’s drunk-driving resource. For information about the broader range of substances and medicines that may affect driving, see NHTSA’s drug-impaired driving resource.

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