reporting an erratic driver

[pulpJarvis]

Walking past the local health centre this morning a driver reversed, badly and awkwardly, as he'd missed the entrance. He hadn't reversed enough so he bumped up over the kerbs and pavement to get into the car park. It was obvious where the car park entrance was - another 3 metres reversing would have got him there. But he seemed honestly confused - not impatient.

Would you report it? He didn't look like he should have been in charge of a car.

No

Why not? It appears the driver could be a danger to themselves or other road users.

My worst attempts at parking was when I knew someone was watching me.

@XenoBitch me too. But he didn't know he was being watched. It was the bumping over the kerb and driving over the pavement that was really erratic and deeply unconventional way of getting into a car park.

I didn't watch him park.

..

I’ve reported someone before (smoking weed at the wheel and speeding). Police did check. They went to his house I believe, as I got an update the following day.

I wouldn’t report someone for what you describe but perhaps it looked worse than it sounds. I do think we should feel able to report behaviour we think could be genuinely dangerous to others though as it won’t get picked up on otherwise. Policing is responsive only, gone are the days of police watching and waiting.

No. Leave it be.

I'm most certainly not condoning irresponsible or dangerous driving, but I definitely wouldn't be reporting someone for this.

Even the most competent drivers can make mistakes or erratic decisions when under stress, panicked, driving somewhere unfamiliar etc.

On one occassion years ago, I found out that my boyfriend at the time had been admitted suddenly to hospital. It was pouring with rain at night, the hospital car park was the pokiest place I've ever tried to park, I was panicking etc and tried about 4 times to reverse in and reverse out again - but somebody offered to calmly help guide me in to the spot. They didn't report me - they had a little empathy, and all was well.

I would leave it. The police have more serious driving behaviour to be focused on.

I really don't know what you'd expect the police to do with that information?

In my area they don't even come out if your home is burgled, so I cannot imagine reporting this and expecting them to....what?

Turn up at the health centre, go through the CCTV, look up the driver's details, then send someone round to have a word?

Perhaps 20 years ago maybe.