Do y’all ever read the signs along the local highways and while you are on the interstate? “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.” “Leave the Shots on the Court. Drive Sober.” “We’ll be Blunt. Don’t Drive High.” Some of them be funny at a glance, but they are all warning drivers against one thing: driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
For good reason, December is National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month as well as National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. “Weekends and holidays can be dangerous times on our roadways.
Two of the most celebrated days of the year, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, also are among the deadliest” (National Safety Council).
Both awarenesses promote responsible and safe driving among youth and adults. Did you know that “one person dies every 39 minutes as a result of drunk driving, almost one-third of all driving fatalities are attributed to drunk driving, many drivers who cause accidents have alcohol and other substances in their system, and the highest rate of driving while impaired is among people 21-24 years old” (rstreet.org)?
It’s okay if you didn’t know; I didn’t either until I read and did a little research. Driving while under the influence of alcohol and drugs is a risk, not only to the life of the driver, but to the lives of the passenger(s) as well as other drivers on the road.
As I wrote this article, a phrase from a very old commercial kept coming to my mind, “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.” Friends don’t let friends drive high either. I know the holiday season is about enjoying family and friends, and some of us add alcohol and maybe a blunt to the fellowship. And that’s okay. But understand that it only takes one drink or a small amount of drugs to make someone impaired, to cloud their vision and judgement. In the event of that happening, we must be responsible not only for ourselves but for our loved ones as well.
Take keys. Drive them home or let them stay the night at your house. Whatever you do, don’t drive under the influence, or let your loved one drive under the influence. By doing that, you take responsibility for your life, their life, and the lives of other innocent people. Save lives by saving your own.
