End Drunk Driving

Being qualified to get behind a wheel is essential for preserving others’ lives and your own. Being under the influence, distracted by your phone, or not paying attention to the road can have grave repercussions and result in the end of someone´s time on Earth. We should aim to end such reckless antics and not get behind the wheel if we are aware we are not in the best place to do so. It may sound like ¨It´s no big deal¨ or ¨It´s not even far,¨ but one truly never knows their fate. Anything can happen in the blink of an eye. Staying safe is always the best option, especially when you are aware it can save lives. It is better to be safe than sorry.

So, we must take responsibility when we know we are not in the best condition to drive, call a taxi, an uber, or a friend to drive you to your destination. Moreover, if you know you will consume alcohol, plan to have someone drive you or, again, call a taxi or an uber. On another note, turn your phone off or put it on silent when you are driving. No text, call, or social media notification is worth more than someone’s time on Earth.

When I was about six years old, my mom, a friend of hers, and I were struck by a drunk driver on the highway. This leads my mother´s friend, who was in the passenger seat, to break through the windshield window and land on the pavement in the street in front of us. She was in a coma for about a month. My mother suffered injuries to her back and had to go to therapy for a couple of years. The glass from the window broke and pierced my forehead, and I had to receive stitches. Thankfully all turned out well eventually, but nothing compares to the fear I felt watching my mother and the lady I call my aunt in such pain and agony. I still have a souvenir in the form of a big gnarly scar on my forehead from the incident. This event served to highlight the gravity that driving inebriated can have on other´s lives. Because of this, as a six-year-old, I pledged to never get behind a wheel if I am in a frail state of mind, and you should too.

In essence, driving is an activity that calls for your full undivided attention and should not be taken lightly, no matter how much of a pro you think you are. It is essential and ethical to choose safety over convenience. Whether you´ve had a couple of drinks, feel distracted, disoriented, or whatever it may be, trust your gut, and make a plan to get to your destination without getting behind the wheel. It is better to have the minor inconvenience of having to change plans than to have to live with the fact that you put somebody else´s and your own life in danger.