Drinking and driving has become too prevalent in today's society especially for the college aged individuals. According to the Huffington Post, 1 in 5 teenagers will drive while intoxicated and about 1 in 2 have driven after a drink or two. The number for driving while intoxicated is scary high. For example, think of a college campus of about 3000 students. That would mean about 600 students have gotten behind the wheel while drunk. Even if no harm happened to the individual, the potential for danger is still extremely high.
It is the first time where many people are away from home so they have the feeling of independence and may have the feeling of being invincible. When in fact, no one is invincible and people should realize their actions can have consequences of varying levels. When an individual gets behind the wheel after drinking, they are not only putting themselves at danger, but also the other potential individuals in the car, along with the cars on the road in that same danger. People would rather allow someone to get behind the wheel intoxicated than take the keys away just so they can get a ride to a particular bar or party, which shouldn't be the case. Individuals should be willing to find DDs, and if none of your friends like to be the DD or designated driver, take turns being it to ensure the safety of all the participants. If people don't like the idea of switching off DDs call a taxi or an uber to ensure everyones safety.
I had an encounter this weekend with a friend who got behind the wheel after consuming a great deal of alcohol. I went over to their car to try to get them to hand over the keys and get out of the car as a way to protect not only the individual, but also the others in the car. The friend who was driving wouldn't listen to a word I was saying and the person in the passenger seat was also screaming at me to leave them alone. Taking the keys away from those individuals is the best option, sure you might believe you are being annoying if you do it or it's the uncool thing to do in the long run, but it could ultimately save a life. Society has begun to normalize these types of actions in the college aged individuals, which is ultimately hurting society. There are so many ways to prevent these actions, but with people allowing it to continue to happen, the population will continue to increase.
Not only could people's lives be put in danger but people could also get pulled over by a cop for operating under the influence, and that could negatively impact their lives forever. Driving while drinking is a serious offense and it is something that people can prevent as long as they find a different way home. If an individual has driven somewhere while they were sober it is better to leave their car for the night and get it in the morning than to get behind the wheel after a night out. Even Budweiser has made a commercial in an effort to reduce the drinking and driving rates with the puppy, and the ultimate message that someone will be waiting for you at home, so you should be responsible and find a sober driver or stay at friends house after consuming alcohol. Drinking and driving is a serious problem that can be resolved through finding a sober driver to ensure the safety of all participants.
