Driving while intoxicated is irresponsible. It's also illegal. You've most likely heard that before, but please take a moment and finish reading this, because it might save your life or someone else's.
Drunk driving is illegal because it puts lives in danger -- not just the individual committing the crime, but unfortunately anyone else who happens to be out on the roads as well.
One person's moment of stupidity could affect any one of us.
But what can be done about DWIs?
The crime itself comes with many consequences, most of which people think they understand. There's the suspension of driving privileges, the legal costs and the sometimes-irrevocable damage that can occur to one's career. And those are just the tip of the iceberg -- those are minor problems compared to the penalties that come when a DWI involves the physical harm of an innocent person.
I would advise anyone who drinks and drives occasionally to try thinking about that from time to time, especially the next time you've been drinking and are considering driving. What if you hurt someone else? What if you kill a child? Or a family? What if you take a mother or father away from someone permanently? Or someone's sister or brother?
You don't know who's in those other cars around you, do you?
It happens all the time, and my guess is that those drunk drivers weren't thinking about all the variables.
They felt confident that they understood, or that they were in control. They were also probably counting on their past successes at getting away with the crime of drinking and driving. There's a famous saying about luck, though -- count on the rabbit's foot, if you will, but remember, it didn't work for the rabbit.
We can't catch everyone who drives drunk, and we'll never be able to stop it completely. That's just a sad fact of life, but we're going to keep trying. The Directorate of Emergency Services will continue to look for ways to stop people before they can hurt themselves or others, or damage property.
We will continue to set up checkpoints and remain vigilant at the post entry control points 24/7 for your safety.
We're not the only defense against DWIs, however. Drunk driving prevention begins with individuals and their friends making better choices before, during and after consuming alcohol.
As I stated before, impaired driving is bigger than you -- your choices can affect the course of innocent peoples' lives.
Prevention also occurs when people remember they have alternatives to getting behind the wheel. There are unit-level designated driver programs, as well as a new taxi agreement on the post that allows ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft to operate.
In short, there are people you can contact so you don't have to put yourself and others at risk.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 30 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes every day -- that's one person every 50 minutes. If you think that won't happen to you, I'd argue the math is not on your side.
The bottom line is: don't make the decision to drive while impaired, and don't let your friends make that mistake, either. It's a serious decision that can come with extreme consequences.
Even if you think you're fine, or you've gotten away with it before or you're only driving a few miles -- think worst-case scenario. Are you going to injure or kill someone because your judgement is impaired? Or are you going to be reasonable, and let someone sober get you home?
That could be the biggest decision of your life. Think about it.
(Editor's note: Redmond is the noncommissioned officer-in-charge of traffic management and collision investigations.)
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Related Links:
Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood Facebook
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