So you are out with your friends. You’re having a great time and before you know it you are quite inebriated. At this point in your drunk state, you believe you are invincible. You feel great. You feel as if you can run five marathons, let alone one. So when your friends come to you asking if you are okay enough to drive them home, you respond with “I’m good.”

Being 20, drunk driving is a topic that affects me now more than ever. On more than one occasion I have seen these “invincible” martyrs who think that they are “good” to drive. “Good” drunk driving does not exist. There is no such thing and there should never be. Drunk driving, no matter how intoxicated, is inexcusable.

From a young age my parents told me that no matter where I was, I should always call them if I was put in a situation where I couldn’t get home. They always promised never to be angry, just happy that I called them. I don’t understand how someone who has been drinking , takes it upon themselves to get in a car and drive. They don’t realize that, not only are they risking their own lives, but they are endangering the lives of everyone around them; their friends, strangers, even children. Drunk driving is one word: selfish.

No matter what the situation, there is always another option. With taxis and Uber being so popular and cheap, there leaves NO excuse to get behind the wheel of a car.

It takes one second for something awful to happen. Think about the people you love the most; your parents, your family, and your friends. What would you do if someone took the life of one of these people? Every time you choose to get behind the wheel drunk you are risking taking one of these people away from their loved ones.

The statistics on drunk driving are shocking and the stories of people who have lost someone is even more sobering. The CDC states,

“Every day, almost 30 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This amounts to one death every 53 minutes.”

So next time you want to get behind the wheel impaired, think about how you would feel if someone you loved was abruptly taken from you. Call a friend. Call a cab. There is never a reason to drink and drive.