Everyone is entitled to an ice-cold adult beverage whether it is after work with some friends or during a weekend party. The decision on whether to drive home or get a designated driver is what is most important. Drinking and driving is not only dangerous to you but also to the ones around you. High blood alcohol levels mixed with driving can be fatal which can put major effects on the ones involved and their friends and families.
Blood alcohol content (BAC) levels show what percent of your blood in concentrated with alcohol. Different levels of BAC affect a person in different ways. For example, according to the article “The dangers of drunk driving”, impaired driving starts at 0.02. At this level, a person will start feeling buzzed and cannot focus on more than one thing. The at the level of 0.08 a person is considered legally drunk and if driving they are eleven more times likely to have an accident than a non- drinking person.
When people get together there are usually a variety of drinks and what most don’t realize that every drink has a different alcohol percentage resulting in getting drunk faster. Also depending on the person’s weight, gender, and whether they have eaten or not plays a role in blood alcohol content levels. There is no safe BAC. If you plan to drink, then it’s better to play it safe and get a designated driver.
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There are at least 29 deaths per day motor vehicle accidents involving alcohol (CDC). This is just the death total. Some accidents can be minor to moderate injuries. The most common body injuries from a car accident are to the legs, neck, chest, back, and the brain. Most of these injuries require extensive surgery’s and multiple days in the hospital trying to recover. Some injuries may not be noticeable such as a person can develop post-traumatic syndrome PTSD.
In the article “How drunk driving effects those involved”, (Crowley) stated that people who suffer from PTSD experience multiple playbacks of the accident. Usually, these occur when they are reminded of the accident by things such as when they ride in the car or reading about a similar incident. PTSD victims can develop anger issues, have vivid dreams and can be emotionally numb.
Drinking and driving not only effects the ones who did it but also takes a toll on family members and friends. Family members can be financially burdened in different ways such as court cost. Long-term financial cost could be higher insurance rates and ongoing counseling treatments. This can lead to cutting into family’s budgets for groceries, light bills and mortgage payments.
Drinking and driving have affected friends and family more emotionally. If someone is charged drunk driving loved ones tend to stay worried that it could happen again. They stay stressed worrying whether that person is ok. If a car accident happens and a death is involved friends and families can have hatred towards each other blaming the accident on the other person involved. Friendships come and go; the real ones stick around trying to find solutions to help while other friends who encourage drinking and driving.
Drinking and driving can be dangerous. I was one of those family members affected by losing a loved one. My father has been gone now for twenty-nine years. If his friend would have chosen to let someone else drive, he would have still been here today. Just like him, other people do not realize how much they have been drinking and how drunk they are. They then take the chance to make it home not realizing what could happen to take that chance at having a wreck and losing a life causing not only issues for them but to friends and families as well.
