In so many ways, it’s ridiculous that the message of not drinking and driving needs to be reiterated over and over again. Even more interesting is that statistics show that by the time a drunk driver has been caught by law enforcement, they have likely been intoxicated behind the wheel around 80 times prior. Eighty times!?
Essentially, drunk driving is one of those things that people become comfortable with after they’ve done it repeatedly. They figure that if they got home safely the past few weekends, this weekend will be no different. Never mind the extra shot of Jägermeister they’ve had. Drinking and driving often becomes a habit, leading to a false sense of confidence. This is likely why over half of all people who cause a drinking and driving fatality are repeat offenders. It cannot be that they don’t hear the message, because the message is loud and clear. Plus, it’s the law.
The Consequences of Ignoring the Message
Many people will go out to dinner with family (kids included), down a pitcher of beer, and feel completely capable behind the wheel. Then, when pulled over or involved in an accident, their blood alcohol levels are at a point where they are legally drunk. Were they coherent? Did the alcohol have anything to do with the ticket or accident? The ‘drunk’ will probably say no, but the truth is there’s no way to know for sure. The fact is, even one drink of alcohol changes perception and cognitive function. One drink. You might not be wasted and feel in total control, but your cognitive and motor skills have been diminished.
So why risk it? Why can’t people understand that if they are going to drink, they don’t need to drive? Let’s repeat: If YOU are going to drink, please don’t drive! Please! Not for you, but because by doing so, you put others at unnecessary risk. You could kill someone’s child. You could hurt yourself and take away a parent—leaving you with immense guilt for making a bad decision. This isn’t a decision that requires much thought. It’s pretty simple to understand: drinking and driving are two things that NEVER, in any situation, go well together.
Since the onset of MADD, SADD, and other anti-drinking and driving organizations, awareness has increased. Between 1991 and 2009, statistics show that drinking and driving arrests, accidents, and fatalities decreased by as much as 44%. Of course, this is also due to more stringent laws for offenders and increased enforcement. Most local law enforcement agencies now have task forces designed to catch drunk drivers, and roadblocks to find them have become the norm across the United States and abroad.
But still, in 2009, around 34,000 people died in drunken driving accidents. That’s 34,000 people who could be alive today if just one person had decided not to get behind the wheel after drinking. Those are 34,000 unnecessary and illegal deaths resulting from a person’s ego thinking they were sober enough to operate a motor vehicle. It’s one thing if you want to risk your own life, but making that choice for someone else is truly unconscionable!
Consider this for a moment: a criminal shoplifts. They may do it time and again. Another type of criminal robs cars or causes property damage. Then there are those who harm or injure others. Now, do you consider yourself or any of your friends a criminal? You would never dare shoplift, right? Because it’s against the law and immoral? You wouldn’t hurt your partner. You wouldn’t break into a neighbor’s home and steal their television. But getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking makes you no better than those who commit real crimes. You know you’re breaking the law before you even turn on the ignition. But you do it anyway. The question is: is it ego or stupidity that drives that choice?
While around half of all drinking and driving arrests involve repeat offenders, the other half are novices. Interestingly, about 97% of these novices admit to having driven while intoxicated before. Perhaps the punishments aren’t stringent enough, or the legal system has let down its preparedness to keep the population safe. Should people caught driving with alcohol on their breath have their licenses revoked forever? Would that be the answer? What about mandatory jail time with no plea deals? Would the fear of five years in prison drive home the message that drinking and driving don’t mix?
The controversy surrounding drinking and driving touches nearly one in every 2.5 people in the United States alone. When it does, the consequences are never pretty. They might manifest as a funeral, a hospital visit, a court case, or a jail cell. In every instance, the ones often affected the most are innocent bystanders—sober drivers returning home from Grandma’s house with a car full of kids after a nice family meal. It is utterly unfair, not to mention ignorant, to get behind the wheel of a car after drinking. Ever.
So here’s the reminder: If you are going to drink, please don’t drive. Use the buddy system. Call a cab. Walk. Sleep it off and come home in the morning. Just make your plans before you go out and commit to your humanity—not being the one to affect another person’s life with YOUR bad decision.
