It’s unfortunate that far too many people see nothing wrong with driving after drinking. Tell that to 12,000 who died in 2008 from traffic accidents caused by impaired drivers. Tell the families who will miss those loved ones forever that there is nothing wrong with taking a drink or two and getting behind the wheel.
There is something wrong with drinking and driving. The statistics and reality are overwhelming that drivers who are impaired by alcohol (or other substances) are time bombs just waiting to explode. And when they do, they more often than not explode in the faces of innocent victims who just happened to be sharing a road with a drunk driver.
All 50 states set a limit of.008 gram deciliter as the legal limit. Hit that, or go over it, and you are driving impaired. That means the driver’s reflexes are slower, it means the driver’s vision is blurred, it means the driver’s judgment is often non-existent.
“All too often, innocent, law-abiding people suffer tragic consequences and the loss of loved ones due to this careless disregard for human life,” said Talladega police Sgt. Alan Kelly. “Our message is simple and unwavering. If we find you driving impaired, we will arrest you. No exceptions.”
We support that approach. Drunk driving is a crime of choice. It is easy enough to call a taxi, to get a friend to drive you home or to stay over with a friend when you have too much to drink. To drink and then to insist on driving a car is to take a chance with losing your life, or taking the live of someone else.
Don’t do it. Don’t drink and drive. If you do, we hope you get caught before you face the tragic consequences of an accident.
We are still a bit away from Labor Day. But local and state law enforcement agencies are getting ready to hit the road in an effort to take drunk drivers off the road, and to save lives.
We commend them for the effort.
