Just a rant or plead, depends on how you look at it

I think that most people will give you the "it does not happen to me" story if you try to convince them of it. I'm sure everyone knows that alcohol and driving don't mix, but some will always find excuses: "I don't drink that much", "I have to get home somehow", etcetera.

I know it's really frustrating to see whole families come in like that. What used to bother me a lot was that often the sober driver and his/her passengers would have devastating injuries and the drunk person would have minor ones. Not that it really matters, any injury because of drunk driving is too much.

One thing that people don't realize is how much this costs our society as a whole in ongoing rehabilitation, hospitalization, and rest-of-life care for disabling injuries. Not to mention the loss of productive members of the society.

We used to have to have the gurneys lined up in the trauma room, surviving mangled family members alongside the drunk who would require extra work sometimes to subdue them to help. All the while comforting the victims for their loss. It was really hard to be civil sometimes.

Drinking and driving don't mix. A girl in my high school class got killed by a drunk driver my junior year. But I think some of the problem streams from the "wolf" issue. There are too many different things that tell you not to drive while under the influence, I take a prescription and I drive around while on it, but on the package it says not to drive while taking this medication and I didn't read it for about a week. The medicine is for adult ADD and if anything it helps me drive. Another problem is that American society is very dependent on vehicles and driving, especially in the more rural states like tennessee which is where I live. There are no taxis to take you back, so if you are stupid and forget to have a sober friend to drive you home, you are stuck at wherever you got drunk. I have nothing against alcohol, it is a pleasing to drink as long as you do it responsibly. Of course I am underage right now, I will turn 21 in little over a year, but I consider myself more then mature enough to have a beer at home or while camping.
I consider any act commited while drunk premeditated and that any illegal act committed while under the influence should be considered premeditated in court, unless you didn't know that you were drinking alcohol or other intoxicating liquids. Alcohol is not bad its the people who drink and drive who are.

Something like over 400,000 children die or are disabled for life in car accidents while not being restrained.

Heck DUI isn't the only one for sure, but it does need to go away.. Odd that drinking has had such a negative impact on this society and yet, it's totally accepted...

This goes along the point I have been trying to prove for years.

Alcohol kills more people than Cigarettes.

Sad Story, no one should drink and dive.

card carrying member of MADD, and ex emt. Anyone gets caught drinking period has to deal with nasty mom. thus far, no one is that stupid here. But I will remind them by showing them your story.

Sad story indeed. Simular accident happend here a little while ago...

Yeah, moderation is one thing. Getting behind the wheel of a car when you can't walk straight is something else. I think its mental myself.

Yes it is extreamly sad to hear and all to common...

One thing that we never ever got angry with our son(s) about was when they would call late at night or anytime for that matter and ask for a ride home. It almost always revolved around someone either doing drugs or drinking at a party or something and them refusing to let anyone else drive who was not on anything.

yeah

'drink and dive'?...heck...I can't even swim...

I Just want to thank everyone that took time to add to the thread and took time to read it

Now Jafo they have these little yellow wings that you put around your arms that help you float and what women in their right mind could turn down a man in little yellow wing bands.

i'm fortionate to live in the city.. when i have friends come over, even those from the 'burbs, i'm glad we have subways to take them home, or they are within walking distance. if all else fails, i'm glad we have taxi cabs.

hearing stories like that really makes me upset. i hear all the time how someone under the influence of drugs or alcohol kills someone and they walk away fine. its with such cruel irony that i was able to turn my back on the belief in some ever loving god. sorry if that rubs some of you the wrong way. life and love is the most important thing anyone can have, there should be no justace for the inexcusable taking of someone elses life.

@water wings!

Some how I envision Jafo down hilling on a rock strewn trail grabbing air from tier to tier more than floundering around with water wings on. But, I bet it would be a sight all the same !

Well I have to say this because Drunk Driving legislation is something that irks me. People die all the time in car accidents. I will have to look it up and see how many car deaths are related to drunk driving because it's not being drunk that's the problem, it's the car, so let's ban cars so people don't die anymore! People are aware of DD, they don't need you to hold their hands and they are going to do it anyway. Why? Because having a designated driver is almost impossible to find every weekend. There's no good public transportation after midnightand many other reasons.

I'm still all for banning cars, they are the culprit. They also cause air pollution, those cars are mean!

If someone goes out drinking and gets behind the wheel when drunk and kills someone it's not exactly a complete "accident" (i.e., something that was beyond their control to prevent). If someone can't arrange for safe transportation alternatives they should do their drinking at home and stay there.

I drove to a party on the weekend and had a ball... drank way too much though so in the morning I was wrecked. I was supposed to be home at 9 in the morning but had to wait until late in the evening before I could drive. There is no way I'm putting my and other's lives in danger by driving drunk.

I've never met or know of anyone who has had family injured or killed in DUI accidents but I know enough about death and loss that I don't want to go through it or make someone go through it because of me.

I've seen people who can't stand up straight after a whole night's drinking binge get into a car and drive like professionals repeatedly, while some that can't drive for peanuts after only two drinks. Makes me wonder...

/me imagines Jafo with bright yellow Floaties on his arms!!

Christmas 12 years ago someone reversed into my car while I was in work. Luckily a lorry driver saw this and followed the guy to his house and called the police. The next evening the Police came to see me to get a statement etc. At that time they said they still hadn't interviewed the driver because he was still too drunk - 24hrs later! At the time of his arrest he could barely stand. Fortunately he didn't injure anyone. People like that should be banned from driving for life. He got a 12 month ban and hefty fine.

And the funny bit? The guy's name was Mr Drinkall...