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Just the facts, please.

Teaching people to drive for over 34 years has taught me many things, most of which are good. I learned that giving out facts was a good thing and that hiding my students from the harsher facts was not in their best interest. Showing them news articles of what’s gone wrong allowed me to show them counter actions to those actions.

So many people know and realize driving while intoxicated is dangerous, illegal and deadly. Although society knows this, it still happens. And for the most part, many people feel it won’t happen to them. Ironically, it can and does happen to them. Having hindsight would be useful so maybe a few helpful facts from people who did drive after consuming so much alcohol can help you change your opinion. Learning from others who have made that decision means we do not have to make the same poor decision.

I’m pretty sure no one wants to kill or injure anyone while driving impaired, including themselves and their passengers, but having a reality check can become helpful. Here are a few quotes from people who did drink too much and get behind the wheel of a vehicle and drive.

“How do you all deal with feeling really guilty from drunk driving? I know I need to stop. This is not the first time it’s happened. I have a great job and grad school on the line. I am ashamed that I woke up in the bed without even remembering getting home. I sometimes don’t even believe the drunk version of me is real.”

“I forced myself to read news stories of people who have driven drunk and gotten long prison sentences or have killed themselves. I am frightened now. I am ready to stop doing this. I also need forgiveness.”

I made a choice to drive after I had been drinking with a friend. He was in the passenger seat with me, also drunk and not wearing his seatbelt when I lost control and hit a tree.

I’m waiting to go to prison, but more importantly my friend is gone and it could have been avoided. I don’t wish this pain or guilt on anyone… just don’t do it. Leave your car behind and please take a cab.

This is just a small part of the facts from those who made a choice. We all make choices, but we do need to make good ones. Our best decisions come before having that first drink. We need to change how we perceive driving impaired, but how do we do that? What can really change our minds that we need alternatives to getting behind the wheel when we’ve had too much to drink?

These are just a few who got “lucky” and did not kill or injure anyone. Instead of relying on luck, rely on individual breathalyzers from Not Your Child Corp. Determine if you’re able to safely and legally drive before you get behind the wheel. Once you make that move of driving after drinking, you can’t take it back. And as they say at Not Your Child Corp; “When you feel different, you drive different. Drive Sober”.