Drunk Driving and how to be better

The absolute danger that is ingrained into driving under the influence cannot truly be comprehended until you or someone you love suffers because of it. Many people do not take the severe consequences of driving under the influence seriously because the notion of driving under the influence has shifted towards a joke that should not be taken seriously when driving under the influence should instead be perceived as a grave situation with often fatal consequences. Being at the mercy of someone who is driving under the influence is something that I unfortunately have firsthand experience with. During only my second night of college, I was party hopping with people that I had foolishly believed were my friends when we ultimately gave up on our immature quest of finding a club that would let us in or finding a venue with a short line and begrudgingly decided to head back to the dorms and call it a night. Unbeknownst to me, the designated driver of the group was completely disregarding his responsibilities. While we had been waiting in lines and trying to get into parties , he had been drinking and smoking the whole time to the point where he was not only tipsy but also high. When everyone in the group hopped into his truck to head back to the dorms, the pungent, combined stench of marijuana and alcohol made me want to throw up. I originally tried to ignore the smell, hoping it had just lingered from previous exploits but its potentness was too much to bear. It was not until we got onto the freeway that I looked over and saw him pull a joint out from his middle console as he tried to focus his blood-shot,glassy eyes onto the radio, more focused on picking a song than on driving attentively. This complete carelessness combined with a lack of reaction from everyone else in the truck made me realize how grave a mistake I had made by associating with these people. Not only were they unfazed by this man barreling down the freeway at unsafe speeds close to 3 in the morning, they also were completely unbothered by his obvious smoking and prioritization of his phone over driving safely. I was desperate to get out of the truck but I had no other option but to pray that we all made it back to the dorms safely. Needless to say, I was terrified that we were all going to crash and die or worse inadvertently kill someone else. I would have never been able to look myself in the mirror again if I had even been indirectly involved in the wrongful death of an innocent person that could have been avoided simply with better decisions. When we finally made it back to the dorms I all but nearly fell to the ground and kissed the concrete like the survivors of extreme plane turbulence do in movies. My first hand experience with a distracted driver who was also severely under the influence gave me an invaluable lesson about responsibility on the road through a second chance that many people are not lucky enough to receive. The fact that young adults are the leading demographic in fatalities,injuries, and offenders of drunk and distracted driving coupled with the fact that drunk drivers have a much higher chance of surviving crashes compared to their sober, innocent victims according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave me an additional reality check that made me realize how truly fortunate I was to have survived that awful and traumatic night. Ultimately, that incident taught me that the severity of drunk driving needs more attention on a national level and should not be overlooked. The tragedy of drunk driving is made even worse by the heart-wrenching fact that drunk and distracted driving incidents are completely preventable. As a fortunate survivor of drunk driving, I truly hope and pray that one day everyone as a society will strive to acknowledge and improve the tragedy associated with drunk and distracted driving. If I had the power to do so, I would implement mandatory programs in public schools in the United States that inform students about the dangers of drunk driving through videos and personal stories by victims and offenders to truly demonstrate what drunk driving entails. I would also encourage schools to do essay and infographic competitions to promote learning about driving safety in a safe,innovative way.