The late night symphony accompanies you through the darkness. The ambient sound of vehicles and drunk words fill the car, each bump reminding the passengers that everything in excess is not the best idea. You're truly an under appreciated person. While dusk settles and everyone slumps onto their beds you are finally on your way home, and thanks to you someone's life was spared.
This letter is to all the people that are selfless, even with someone in the car that is furious, depressed, jolly, or just sick they still choose to stick by their friends and drive them home. It might seem like just a meager thing to do, but in 2014, 9,967 people were killed because of alcohol induced incidents. The simple act of driving someone home, or taking their keys away from them, can make the difference between waking up with a hangover or waking up to rush to the hospital or worse, the morgue.
Unfortunately, we're all desensitized to the "Don't drink and drive" message, and many people still don't understand the repercussions, so let's take a moment to acknowledge the great work that responsible designated drivers do! Let's praise their selflessness and their bravery. It says a lot about a person when they decide to take such a great responsibility, and we should celebrate them. We always talk about making the right choice while we drink, but we should also talk about the people that are willing to step up and do the right thing. These drivers are people that the person who is under the influence trusts and feels comfortable with and will most likely be a lot more easy going than just a random taxi driver.
We all know someone who's willing to take on this responsibility, and we should do something for them. The next morning we should take a minute of our morning and call them and tell them thank you. I've been lucky to never lose anyone to drunk driving, and I pray to the higher powers that I never do.
So I implore you to open you hearts and minds to the people that go home alone after dropping everyone off. A simple thank you goes a very long way. Life is way too short to let any of your friends or family walk away into shadows of uncertainty by taking that car, not knowing if they'll every make it home okay. Not only are their lives in danger, but so are the lives of anyone that shares the road with them. Don't be an accomplice to murder or suicide, just call an Uber or take them home.
