The Serious Threats of Drunk Driving
On August 31 1997, Princess Diana died tragically in a car crash driven by a drunken driver. Her death was shocking on several levels. It was violent. It sent those she had touched through her charity work into heartbroken mourning. This accident would not have happened if the driver was not intoxicated by alcohol.
If you are driving drunk, there is a very good chance of you getting pulled over. Indications of drunk driving are speeding, a drinking driver sometimes thinks he/she can drive safely at high speeds (superman). Weaving, even if a drunk driver stays in the right lane, sometimes they have trouble steering straight. Slow driving, when a driver knows that they are intoxicated, they may drive slower than the flow of traffic so that they do not get in an accident, this can be dangerous in itself. Sometimes drunk drivers have jerking motions because of short mental lapses and may not keep a steady speed. Another indication of an intoxicated driver is quick stopping, which causes many accidents. Police officers have seen drunk drivers many times, and know how they drive. Don’t be a fool to try to beat the system, because it is you that is going to get screwed. It is sad but true that there are people who drive drunk all the time and get away with it, and never get caught. But the odds are not with you.
Alcohol is a drug, a very popular drug. Alcohol has been around for along time, and people have always enjoyed its effects. Many people have passions for alcohol, some people have refrigerators filled with beer. Alcohol always seems to liven up the party. But no matter what your preference is alcohol can be very dangerous when combined with the operation of an automobile. Alcohol increases your self-confidence but lowers your driving performance. You may feel like you can do anything behind the wheel of a car after a six-pack. But you can’t. Many, many accidents occur because of drinking. Most of these accidents involve only 1 car, but other people are killed by drunk drivers. Hopefully you can see how drinking and driving effects others too.
Drunk drivers need to understand that the next time they drink and drive they are not only dangerous to themselves they are also dangerous to others. It effects a lot of people. It effects deeply of relatives or families of victims of drunk drivers. There is a lifelong sorrow for the relatives of the fatal victims.
Drunk drivers can be costly. Tens of millions of dollars are spent annually in court costs, rehabilitation, lost earnings, health care, and social programs all because of drinking driving accidents. This money comes directly out of the citizens’ pockets in taxes and lost revenue.
There is a technique to protect yourself from drunk drivers. First, always wear your seat belt. Second, keep your distance from anyone that may appear to be under the influence. If you do drink, you can be smart about the actions you make. If you have any second thoughts about driving, don’t. Have a friend drive you home, call a friend, or call a cab. Don’t worry about your car, it is not as important as human life, and will probably be in better condition if you don’t drive it drunk. Also, don’t let friends drive drunk either, if they are stubborn, take the keys from them. It is a good idea to make agreements with your friends about not letting each other get in a car intoxicated.
Driving while intoxicated does not add up. It is very dangerous, expensive, and stupid. It is easy to avoid, if our government could strongly increase the education about alcohol abuse and the consequences of drinking and driving.
