Drinking and Driving

I am a mom on a mission today. Everywhere I post I am going to bring up the drunk driving debate. I cannot believe how people can still make such a tragic mistake. My husband lost an employee last night, who decided to drink and then get behind the wheel of his car. His friend begged him not to. I think it was a case of "It cant happen to me" syndrome. And because of that, he now becomes yet another statistic. The blessing in this case was that this misguided twenty something didn't take anyone else along for the fatal ride OR collide with an innocent along the way. How is it that the message of 'drinking and driving kills' still falls on deaf ears? Why are people still losing loved ones from something that is one hundred percent preventable? Imagine the horror that emergency personnel go through when arriving at the scenes of such horrific fatalities. What must go through their minds, when it becomes apparent the piles of twisted metal and limbs could have been avoided.

When I was a teenager in high school, the best drinking and driving campaign I've ever witnessed was waged in my own school. Approximately every 15 minutes, someone dies from an alcohol-related collision. So every fifteen minutes, for one day, a student would show up to class, face painted white, with some degree of fake blood & ripped clothing. Those students would remain silent the rest of the day, a representation of a drunk driving victim. It was powerful. By the end of the day about a quarter of our school's moderate population was walking around as pale-faced zombies. I will never forget it.

But really, does everyone need such shock treatment? I find it hard to believe that there are people out there who DONT know anyone affected by drinking and driving. My own parents were run off the road one snowy winter night by someone suspected of being intoxicated. Thankfully they were only shaken and not seriously hurt, but it could have been a lot different.

When we host a gathering where alcohol is consumed, we ALWAYS make sure there are designated drivers, and that people who wish to drink have the option of staying the night. I know it is not always possible to convince an intoxicated person that they should hand over their keys, BUT anyone who would insist on driving drunk is NO ONE I would invite back. It is not worth it.

So today, yet again, there will be a community in mourning. Many frustrated people, like myself, once again wondering when everyone will finally get the message. Driving while intoxicated is DEADLY. How many more people need to be lost in order to get that painful point across? My heart goes out to that young man's friends and family.