Crazy driving decisions make streets dangerous

This is why taxis and the annual Darwin awards for stupidity were invented.

One London driver went the wrong way down a one-way street to avoid a RIDE check because he thought he was drunk. He wasn’t.

Another London driver caught riding on the roof of his car told police it was OK, he had a designated driver inside.

Police reported those two incidents Monday to warn ordinary drivers to take care on city streets after the bars close.

“Impaired driving isn’t restricted to weekends or after dark, but these two jumped out at me,” said Sgt. Tom O’Brien of the London police traffic unit.

“It’s just something to throw out there as way of educating people (about what happens). . . while we sleep.”

The first incident occurred about 3 a.m. April 4.

An officer spotted a car heading slowly down Pond Mills Rd. near Cleveland Ave., with a man sitting on the roof.

The car pulled into a driveway and the 25-year-old man on the roof jumped down.

“He said, ‘It’s OK, I’ve got a designated driver,’ ” O’Brien said.

After talking to the 24-year-old driver, the officer charged him with impaired driving and dangerous driving.

The roof-riding owner was given a ticket for not riding in a seat with a seatbelt.

The second incident took place at a RIDE check on Riverside Dr. about 2:30 a.m. April 10.

Police had set up the RIDE check near Labatt Park, where Riverside is one-way.

A motorist heading west spotted the RIDE check, stopped, did a three-point turn and drove the wrong way back up Riverside, across the Thames River and onto Queens Ave.

He then turned right on Ridout St., but an officer caught up to him.

The 21-year-old driver admitted he probably had too much to drink.

Turns out he was fine, according to a breath test.

But he was charged with dangerous driving.