Each day, more than 300,000 people drive after they've been drinking, yet only roughly 3,200 are arrested. Why is it that we feel it’s okay to not only put others, but also ourselves in danger every time we decide to pick up our keys and get on the road after having a little too much to drink? We know the risks, we see all of the warnings, yet we continuously put ourselves in these unnecessarily dangerous situations.
It’s selfish, really. I know that everyone goes through a stage where they feel like they are invincible and nothing can touch them. You’re in high school and get your driver's license, and then soon enough, you’re experimenting with alcohol, and you start combining the two. At that point in your life, when you have this new-found freedom of driving and you’re trying all of these new things, you honestly do feel like nothing can go wrong. You hear the warnings from your teachers and your parents, but you “know” that will never be you. The sad fact of the matter, however, is that too many times, it ends up being you. And that one stupid mistake of taking that shot and still thinking you can drive to WhatABurger ends up taking someone else’s life, or even your own.
I’m 20 years old with a pristine driving record. No accidents, no tickets, nothing. I could do everything right: put my phone away while I drive, keep the radio at a decent volume, wear my seatbelt, make sure I’ve got my eyes on the road at all times, and still, because of someone else’s stupid mistake, I could find myself in a terrifying, traumatizing situation. And that’s exactly what happened. It was a rainy Thursday night, and I had been home for spring break for about four hours. My family had had wine with dinner so I drove us home. Just after pulling out of the restaurant, I found myself headlight to headlight with another car. Before I knew it, there were people yelling that they were going to cut me out of the car and that the other driver had run. Luckily enough, we had more than a few guardian angels looking out for us, and we managed to walk away with only minor injuries. While we were very, very lucky, and many people just like us are not as fortunate.
On average, every 53 minutes, someone is killed in a drunk driving accident. Having never been in an accident prior to this, I always heard the warnings and listened to them, but you really do never think you’ll find yourself in that situation. I was trying to keep my family and others on the road safe, and one person’s bad choices changed all of that. Being put in a situation like this really does put a life into perspective. You no longer see yourself as invincible. You no longer think “that could never happen to me.” When you say “I love you” to your friends and family, it suddenly takes just a little bit deeper of a meaning.
Please, if you ever find yourself in a situation where you have had too much to drink, know your options and take advantage of them. Call an Uber, call a friend, or walk. It’s not worth it in the long run, I promise.
