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Midkid58 Asked April 2021

How do I report an unsafe driver to the state?

My mother has one friend, who lives fairly close by me. This woman is in end stage renal failure and goes to dialysis 4 times a week. She has severe macular degeneration but still drives, and on the freeway, too.


Mother rides with her to the Sr Center where they play BINGO for a couple of hours, then she rides with this friend to a restaurant for lunch. Sometimes it's a place close by, sometimes it's a place 20 minutes away.


I have seen this woman drive and it's beyond horrifying. Mother (after covid shutdown) is terrified to go with this woman and wants to spend time with her, but not at the sake of driving with her.


This woman lives with her daughter, who really does not keep tabs on her, For all that she's quite sick, she still sure gets around.


Mom said SHE didn't care if they went out in a fiery crash--and I agreed with her on that--but it's far more likely W will hit another car or worse yet, a person. I asked mom if she could live with THAT.


Mom and I worked out a solution to her once-a-week BINGO day, I live 5 minutes away and will take her and pick her up. As far as lunch, I said I would happily pick up nice takeout and she and W could sit in mom's kitchen and enjoy a meal, w/o the stress of being in a restaurant. It would take a total of 45 minutes out of my day--no big deal.


BUT--should I report this woman to the DMV??? She is a frightening menace on the roads, for sure. Her car is dinged and smacked on every side. She simply cannot see, and I believe she's actually legally blind. There's a TON of small kids in our neighborhood---and now I know how bad her eyesight it--I'm concerned.

Geaton777 Apr 2021
Go online to the DMV website for her county. You may be able to submit an anonymous report. If so it’s best if the testimony of her bad driving is from your mom since she has first-hand experience. The county will likely send the friend a letter to come in for an eye test or other test. It differs from state to state. The friend may ignore the letter. Another option is to discretely park near her home on bingo night & when she pulls out you can follow her & if her driving is dangerous call 911. You don’t need to stick around when they pull her over. You can tell the dispatcher the entire story. My elderly uncle killed his own wife, the love of his life, in a car accident because no one stepped up & did the right thing of reporting his incompetent driving.

AlvaDeer Apr 2021
I think I would go to your local DMV and ask exactly this, or give them a call. I sure wouldn't know what is the best way to get her suspended and brought in for exam. It's so sad and worrisome when this happens and it happens all too often. Was the way my brother, who later admitted he knew "something was wrong", was diagnosed, by having a serious accident (luckily no one hurt other than himself).

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