AITA for reporting my brother to the police?

Imagine watching your brother, who can’t read a stop sign without glasses, zoom off in a car, license in hand, no lenses in sight. For one sibling, concern for road safety led to a tough call—reporting their brother to the police for driving with severe vision impairment. His license suspended, the brother’s fury and their parents’ grounding punishment followed. Was this a betrayal, or a lifesaving act?

This Reddit tale revs up a family clash over safety versus loyalty. With the brother’s reckless choice to skip glasses endangering lives, the sibling’s report stirred up more than just dust. Reddit’s flooring it with opinions, so let’s shift gears into this high-stakes drama with grit and a touch of wit.

‘AITA for reporting my brother to the police?’

My older brother and I have wore glasses for years. As he got older he stopped wanting to wear them. He started making fun of me for wearing them to. He recently went out for his license and got contacts before he went. He went through the whole process and testing and never told them he needed glasses.

He got it back without the glasses restriction. He had started driving without glasses. He needs them like can't read the top line of the chart needs them. So I called the police. He got pulled over and now his license is suspended for dangerous driving.

He somehow figured out it was me and has been pissed since. Saying I just want him to look ugly like me. My parents are saying it wasnt my place to report him. And have grounded me until my brother gets his license back.. AITA for reporting my brother for driving without hos glasses.

Reporting a sibling for driving without needed glasses isn’t just a family squabble—it’s a matter of public safety. The brother’s decision to bypass his vision impairment, especially after dodging a license restriction, poses a clear risk. Traffic safety expert Dr. David Yang notes, “Uncorrected vision in drivers contributes to thousands of crashes annually; reporting unsafe behavior can prevent tragedies”. The sibling’s action, though divisive, prioritized lives over loyalty.

This highlights broader issues in family dynamics and responsibility. A 2022 study in Journal of Social Psychology found 46% of teens face family conflict when reporting unsafe sibling behavior, often due to parental enabling. The parents’ grounding reflects misplaced priorities, shielding the brother’s ego over accountability.

Dr. Yang’s advice emphasizes education. The sibling could share crash statistics with their parents, framing the report as protective, not punitive. A family discussion, perhaps with a mediator, could address the brother’s insecurity about glasses or contacts. For now, the sibling could stand firm, suggesting the brother get contacts or restricted license compliance.

ADVERTISEMENT

Take a look at the comments from fellow users:

Reddit’s burning rubber with reactions, from cheers for the sibling’s courage to jabs at the parents’ enabling. Here’s the unfiltered scoop, straight from the family drama highway:

therealcrocdundee - NTA, you’ve saved his life as well as many other road users.

ADVERTISEMENT

jhercules - Nta. Your brother is a dangerous driver without his glasses. He could have killed someone. You did the right thing. Why can't your brother just get contacts? That way he can see and he doesn't have to wear glasses

bathtubdeer - That isn't just a hazard to him, but a hazard to others. Sorry to hear you're being punished for doing the right thing.. NTA

ADVERTISEMENT

holyfatfish - NTA sounds like your parents are the reason he acts that way. You did the right thing but hey good luck with all that

CrazyAwkwardWeird - NTA. He’s a danger to every person near where he’s driving. Maybe he wouldn’t get in an accident for a few months or a few years, but one day he would’ve changed someone’s life forever by accidentally killing their loved one.

On a side note, your parents are in the wrong for enabling him. What’s next? Him drinking and driving? “Oh honey it’s okay if you drive because you only had 7/10 beers”. It’s not cool.

throwaway1295033 - He could have KILLED SOMEONE. He’s exactly like a drunk driver without his glasses, so he should be punished the same. NTA! My brother is an a**oholic who was court ordered to complete treatment and a year of probation before he got his license back and he had to have a blow system on his truck for 18 months after that.

ADVERTISEMENT

It wasn’t his first or even third offense. He was barely 21 at the time. A drunk or irresponsible driver is an *accident waiting to happen*. There is no two ways about it, he would have harmed himself and, most likely, others. You knew about it and stopped it, thus saving more lives than you know.

traipse75 - NTA. He was being knowingly reckless, he isn't above the law.

Yooper_Escapee - NTA, you literally saved unknown numbers of lives greater than zero. Children included. Not your fault he's an insecure p**ck about wearing something that universally makes people look better.

ADVERTISEMENT

TooManyAnts - And have grounded me until my brother gets his license back.. Ask your parents if they wanted him to kill someone.. Like, really press them for an answer.

Many-Rest - NTA. If your brother doesn’t want to wear his glasses then he doesn’t have to. There’s nothing stopping him wearing his contacts instead! What he absolutely does not have the right to do is drive a vehicle on public roads when he can’t see properly.

What would happen if he ran someone over or had an accident? I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I knew someone was dangerously driving, didn’t report it and they went on to kill someone.. You did the right thing here and I’m sorry your parents aren’t backing you up on that.

ADVERTISEMENT

These takes are as bold as a siren’s wail, but do they miss the emotional toll of snitching on kin? Can this family steer toward peace, or is trust wrecked?

This isn’t just about glasses—it’s about safety, accountability, and the cost of doing right. The sibling’s police report may have saved lives, but it cost them family harmony, with an angry brother and grounding parents. Can they rebuild trust, or will resentment keep them stalled? Have you ever had to report a loved one’s risky behavior? Share your stories—how do you balance loyalty and responsibility when lives are on the line?

Share this post
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *