Traffic

On The Road

Staff Sgt. Fergie Reynolds
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Traffic and tips of the road courtesy of Toronto Police Services' Sgt. Reynolds.

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Call 911 if you see an impaired driver, boater

May 23, 2007 01:56 PM
 
 
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the province's anti-drinking and driving campaign, a program called Operation Lookout co-sponsored by the Ontario Community Council on Impaired Driving (OCCID) with support from municipal and provincial police agencies.

The premise behind Operation Lookout is to encourage citizens who spot incidents of drinking drivers to call 911 and immediately report the incident to the local police.

With summer unofficially starting, and people taking to the roads and waterways, it may be time to answer the question as to how to spot an impaired driver?

Make no mistake; policing agencies are not advocating citizen patrols for impaired drivers as clearly that is a policing responsibility. What we do advocate is an 'observe and report' approach.

In order to make a proper observation, it is important to recognize some of the telltale signs that a motorist or boater may exhibit if they are impaired by alcohol or drugs. So here are a few tips.

If a person is spotted before they get behind the wheel and they are noticeably emitting a strong odour of alcohol, there is a good chance they are impaired. Other tip-offs include being visibly unsteady on their feet (stumbling, shuffling or tripping), glassy eyes, slurred speech or clumsy hand-to-eye co-ordination (unable to find a certain key for opening a door).

If you spot somebody in this condition and they cannot be convinced not to drive, then a 911 call is in order.

Once the vehicle is in motion, some of the typical signs that a driver may be impaired include: driving significantly slower than other traffic, weaving from lane to lane, making abrupt stops at traffic signals and stop signs, stopping well into an intersection and frequent use of the vehicle's horn to protest others' driving.

Often an impaired driver will lean forward into the steering wheel seemingly to get a better view of the road ahead and will focus on what is directly in front of their vehicle. Impaired drivers tend to avoid looking from side to side as that action tends to break their concentration and they lose focus. In an impaired condition, even simple parking manoeuvres become a monumental task.

Knowing what to look for may take some of the guesswork out of deciding what to do if you suspect a driver is impaired.

Please support Operation Lookout and take action if you suspect an impaired driver. The call you make may prevent a family from having to live through a horrible tragedy.

Remember, if you 'observe' an impaired driver, 'report' it immediately by calling 911.