Over the weekend, one of my friends was the victim of a drunk driving accident. Though he was luckily okay, he could have lost his life.
When I walked into work to see his face scraped and bruised, and heard his story of what had happened, it made me step back and realize that this accident could have been avoided.
Of course we all learn about alcohol awareness, and we are always told not to drink and drive, but lets get real…we all have either done it, even just after a few drinks, or know someone who has. What we don’t understand is that it really needs to stop.
Now, I am not just going to sit here and tell you “don’t drink and drive” just for you to go to a party this weekend and do it anyway. I want to share my personal stories about my experiences because someone decided to get in their car wasted.
About ten years ago, I was the victim of a drunk driver. The man came around the corner while my mother, two friends and I were at a stop sign. He hit our car head on and pushed us 26 feet back, then drove off.
We later found out that he was belligerently drunk, far past the legal driving limit. Though we all made it out alive and with few injuries, it was a life-changing event.
Only a few years ago, a very good friend of mine was out partying until 3 a.m. I got a phone call around 5 a.m. from a mutual friend telling me that he was in the ICU at St. Mary’s hospital.
He was driving drunk, fell asleep at the wheel, and crashed into the barrier of a bridge. His steering wheel hit him so hard in the stomach that it caused a two inch laceration in his liver; he was bleeding internally for three days.
He is alive today, and is still stupid enough to drink and drive. Needless to say, I don’t associate myself with him anymore.
Most people who do live through drunk driving accidents are lucky. Those who live through them, yet don’t appreciate it and risk their own lives, along with many others, don’t truly understand the consequences that could come along.
I’m sure as college students, we have all heard the horror stories and seen the graphic images shown to us during orientation or driving school when we went for our license about the effects of drinking and driving.
But the fact is, we all know at least one person who has left a bar or a party to drive and was too intoxicated to be behind the wheel.
According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the rate of drunk driving is the highest among 21 to 25- year-olds. That is mostly college-aged students. Once drunk driving hits home, whether it affects you or someone you know and love, it will stick with you. I got lucky not losing my own life or the lives of my friends and family. But not everyone can be that lucky.
In 2012, over 10,000 people died from drunk driving accidents, according to MADD. That is one life lost every 51 minutes.
When it is you, someone you love, or a stranger whose life will be dramatically affected by a choice, it needs to be taken seriously.
That party down the road, or the new bar in the city may seem fun, but is it worth it to get in your car intoxicated and risk your life any many others? I think not.
Don’t drink and drive. Keep your friends from doing it. And if you’re at a party, even if it is someone you don’t know, don’t let them. Making the choice, helping or forcing someone to make the choice can save a life, including your own.