No one should need a reminder not to drink and drive. It is dangerous and could result in a crash that injures or kills you or innocent victims. Furthermore, the penalties ranging from prison time to an ignition interlock device, are so harsh they could alter the course of your life forever.
Yet every single day people are choosing to put the keys in the ignition after a few too many drinks, so maybe a reminder of what the consequences can be is a good idea.
Take a recent driving under the influence (DUI) crash near San Francisco. A driver in an out of control Corvette plowed into an apartment building and took the life of a 40-year-old woman and her 14-month-old baby. It’s believed the driver had been drinking at a nearby wine festival, and his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was .13 percent when tested.
He was charged on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence. According to California DUI laws, he faces prison time, suspension of his driver’s license for years, and if he ever gets it back, may have to install an ignition interlock device in any vehicle he drives. But those are minor penalties compared to living with the fact that you killed an innocent mother and her baby, all because you choose to drink and drive.
If the thought of killing someone in a crash doesn’t stop you, drinking drivers should also take into consideration that it’s becoming harder and harder to get away with DUI. One recent case in California resulted in a California Supreme Court ruling that the Department of Motor Vehicles can consider circumstantial evidence in DUI cases. That means that if you fail a field sobriety test, it can be taken into consideration just like your BAC content, making it harder to fight a DUI charge if you get one.
These are good reminders, if you needed one, not to drink and drive. When you weigh the risks the choice seems simple—don’t drink and drive.