How to Protect Yourself From Impaired Drivers
Remind your drivers how to spot drivers under the influence as well as what to do when they encounter one.

Make you're your commercial drivers know how to protect themselves and your company vehicles from the perils of impaired motorists.
Screenshot via Cops Court and Coffee.
Nearly 30 people a day in the U.S. lose their lives in drunk driving crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2017 alone, 10,874 fatalities were attributed to drunk driving. What's more, that figure does not even include fatalities linked to drug-impaired driving.
Impaired drivers are a hazard on the nation's roadways. Make you're your commercial drivers know how to protect themselves and your company vehicles from the perils of impaired motorists.
Remind your drivers how to spot drivers under the influence as well as what to do when they encounter one.
Here are some telltale signs of an intoxicated driver:
Failing to Stay in Their Lane
Impaired drivers trend to swerve because they are unable to focus.
Hugging the Center Line
Intoxicated drivers will hug the lane divider in an attempt to avoid swerving and veering off the road
Hitting Objects Near the Road
Blurred vision and fatigue caused by substance abuse lead drivers to sometimes collide with mailboxes, poles, and other objects.
Making Wide Turns
Overdoing basic maneuvers is common among intoxicated drivers because they have trouble judging distances.
Driving Under the Speed Limit
Impaired drivers will try to remain undetected by police, which sometimes lead to them being extra cautious and driving as much as ten miles below the speed limit.
Tailgating
Drunk drivers will sometimes attempt to drive straight by mimicking the car ahead, which can result in tailgating,
Excessive Braking
With limited ability to focus and react, impaired motorists may constantly hit the brakes.
Not Using Headlights
Alcohol makes people forgetful and a drunk driver may forget to turn on his or her lights.
Inappropriate Signaling
Impaired motorists get easily confused and may use the right signal for a left turn and vice versa.
Stopping for no Reason
Intoxicated drivers may suddenly stop in all the wrong places like at a green light or an intersection without a stop sign.
Here's what to do, and what not to do, if you encounter an impaired driver on the road:
Stay far away from the vehicle
Never attempt to stop an impaired driver
Do not try to pass the vehicle
Make sure you seat belt is buckled
Pull over and call 911
More Safety

Nexar-Nauto Merger Aims to Give Fleets Better Safety Intelligence Through Larger Driving Dataset
Stefan Heck tells Automotive Fleet that combining more than 10 billion miles of driving history with Nexar's AI models will give fleets deeper insights into driver risk and roadway conditions than either company could provide independently.
Read More →From Silos to Solutions: Relationship Management for Safer Fleets
From telematics adoption and driver accountability to policy consistency and risk mitigation, this episode breaks down what it really takes to build a safer fleet culture without slowing business down.
Read More →
IIHS Launches First Commercial Vehicle Safety Evaluations
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has begun evaluating heavy-duty pickups and cargo vans for driver protection. Which models earned top marks?
Read More →
Reducing Risk by Eliminating Phone Use Behind the Wheel
Hosted with the cofounder of Lifesaver Mobile, this episode addresses phone use behind the wheel and how to design a driving environment that actually helps prevents accidents.
Read More →
Cameras, Safety and Insurance: From Reactive Claims to Real-Time Prevention (Part 2 of 2)
Part Two: Commercial auto remains one of the most challenging and costly lines of coverage for fleet operators and insurers alike. Continue learning more about how to effectively address these issues from Onur Aksan, Enterprise Business Development Executive, Geotab
Read More →
How 5-Second Telematics Data Is Changing Fleet Safety
This episode connects with Steve Santostasi of Ford Pro and covers how a few seconds of data can make a difference in fleet safety.
Read More →
Managing Road Risk at Scale: Why Fleet Safety Needs a Data-Driven Framework
Insights from the FIA Road and Driver Safety Indexes reveal how to manage road risk on a larger scale.
Read More →
Stellantis Recalls 1.3 Million Jeep Vehicles Worldwide Over Fire Risk
Stellantis is recalling more than 1.3 million Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator models worldwide over a fire risk linked to power steering pump wiring.
Read More →
Coaching Is Not Training, Even When AI Is Doing It
AI-powered safety platforms can detect risky behaviors and deliver immediate feedback. But effective driver development still requires a foundation of training followed by coaching that reinforces those skills.
Read More →
How Emotions Behind the Wheel Can Affect Fleet Safety
During National Safety Month, fleets are encouraged to look beyond distracted driving and recognize how stress, fatigue, and emotional well-being influence driver performance and crash risk.
Read More →
