Driving Drunk: Don't Drive and Drink

Car Accident Statistics: Drivers are less likely to use restraints when they have been drinking. In 2002, 69 percent of young drivers involved in fatal car crashes who had been drinking were unrestrained.

"41% of all car accident fatalities"
 
In 2002, 41% of all car accident related fatalities were caused by someone who was driving drunk.

In the time it takes you to read this article, 1 person will have died in the U.S. because of an alcohol related car accident. Hundreds more lives will be adversely affected from this senseless loss all started by the entertainment value one drunk driver obtained from a tasty alcoholic drink.

17,000 drunk driving related deaths occur every year in the United States
Car accident statistics

The most tragic thing about all of these deaths and accidents is that they could easily have been prevented had the person behind the wheel simply stayed home.

These numbers are horrific, but they don’t take into account the true extent of the damage that is caused by driving drunk. The widespread effects of these accidents affect the families of everybody involved as well as the community as a whole.

There are many different organizations, such as MADD, that have been set up to teach people to refrain from driving while drinking alcohol at all.

While the problem still persists, these organizations and standards are having a major effect on the problem. Even companies that sell alcoholic beverages work to reduce the number of people driving drunk by using ad time to promote designated drivers.

However, before accepting to become a designated driver understand that your good Samaritan act comes with risks, too. For more information see: "Becoming a Designated Driver: What to Expect".

Holidays are notorious for incidences of people driving irresponsibly. You can keep people from driving drunk just by taking a few minor precautions...

Drunk Driving is "Never serious until it becomes serious"

The greatest mistake any drinking driver makes is that drunk driving isn't serious to many drinkers until it becomes serious. An accident may or may not exist down that drunken road this night, but the one time out of thousands when it does exist is when tragedy affects many.

The choices made right now, this very moment, are what decides how many people will be affected for decades to come by a responsible or an irresponsible act.

It's not just the drunk driver who can make the tough choices. Taking the keys from an insistent drunk best friend who thinks she's "just fine" to drive isn't easy to do despite all the commercials showing you how to do it.

Don't Let Your Courage Waver!

When it comes to allowing your best friend to drive drunk or demanding her car keys, your courage may waver. After all, it's easy to question just how bad a can few drinks be, when home is only a short distance away.

Home Is Never A Short Distance Away

Most accidents happen within 25 miles of home. Accidents are never planned, so if one didn't happen last weekend, then consider if the roulette wheel will make the number come up tonight.

We may not want to lose the friendship of your best friend by taking the keys of a potential drunk driving happy person, but think of the consequences the next day if tonight is the night for a drunk driving car accident. You may ignore the potential consequences hundreds of times. Many people may slip by with simple fender benders, but the day a friend dies or kills someone else, because of alcohol is the day you'll lose a friend to a choice you can't rethink next weekend.

Everybody can help prevent drunk driving by taking just a few precautions. Always use a designated driver, and be extra careful to make sure that you’re driving safely during the holidays.

For example, on major holidays like New Year’s Eve or major events like once-a-year Sports Celebrations plan to stay the night wherever you intend on celebrating. Also, volunteering to be a designated driver will make sure that the person behind the wheel is sober.

Driving drunk creates a risk that most don't truthfully comprehend. The life you ruin will be your own plus the victim's life whether she survives or dies. There are also the victims' family members and friends and, of course, your loved ones.

A DUI (Driving Under the Influence) or DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) conviction is serious, but it's only a very small part of the stigma a drunk driving survivor carries for life.

Senseless Tragedies from Avoidable Entertainment

Accidents involving alcohol are viewed after the fact as tremendously senseless tragedies, because they are avoidable. The vehicle is viewed as a weapon the drunk driver carelessly brandished about the road for his or her own convenience.

Your after-the-fact intentions and tears in a court or hospital room may be legitimate, but few people will feel the compassion you crave after you have unintentionally killed or injured another person's husband, wife, mother, child, teacher or friend.

Cold courtrooms command you to pay compensation that could last the rest of your life.

Literally hundreds of people's lives are adversely affected by the entertainment value of one drunk driver behind the wheel of a car.

Drunk Driving is a Choice - Make Another Choice

Drunk driving is a choice made when your decision making abilities are impaired by alcohol. Make the absolute decision now to never drive when you have been drinking, to never drink while you are driving, or to just never drink alcohol.

Don't Drink and Drive. It's as simple as that.