DOTHAN NEWS: What A Mistake!

Today we are going to talk about a mistake. Not just any old mistake. But one that could cost you your life, like the mistake of running red lights or texting while driving. We’ve all seen the signs “DRINKING AND DRIVING DON’T MIX” and you may have even seen it on someone’s bumper sticker on their car now and again. Drinking and driving is something that many people do every day, but it can also be something very dangerous if not taken seriously and know about rickey stokes news dothan.

1. It’s a death sentence.

As stated above, driving while intoxicated can be very dangerous. Driving while intoxicated is an automatic killer and the number of fatalities due to alcohol-related crashes nearly doubled from 1976 to 2006. There are many ways that drunk driving can lead to a major accident or fatal accident, and wrongfully crossing the centerline on a four lane highway is probably one of them. This can cause vehicles in front of you to swerve out of the way and in turn possibly causing you to swerve into an oncoming traffic lane or other cars.

2. It’s also a crime.

Drinking and driving is a real crime, not just something that you pay a fine for like speeding tickets. It can also lead to jail time if the judge decides to sentence you for it. For the first offense of driving under the influence it is most likely you will have your license suspended for at least 6 months and no more than 2 years. For each subsequent offense within 5 years of the last one, a first-time offender will have his or her license suspended from 6 months to 2 years again, with subsequent offenses having a conviction of up to five years in jail and up to 3 years of losing your license again. 

3. Keeps you from doing other things.

Drinking and driving can keep you from doing other things in life. For example, you could have been looking into a new job, like researching the different companies that are in your area and finding one that is best for you. Instead, you may be having to deal with defending yourself against drunk driving charges or being in jail due to not being able to afford bail or bond. You also could have been keeping your grades up and ready to go on to a four-year university to finish your bachelor’s degree but that may no longer be possible if you get kicked out of school due to being arrested for drinking and driving.

4. It could hurt your family, your job and your friends.

If you drink and drive it could possibly affect everyone around you in some way or another. Your spouse may have to get a new job or move to another place if you get arrested for drinking and driving, causing them to lose their income or let go of their job due to being responsible for paying for the family’s expenses. Friends may also be affected by it if you cause a serious accident in front of them like rear ending them, which can lead to getting sued for injuries that may not have occurred or even the driver who was rear ended trying to sue you if they are able to prove that they did not have time to stop before the accident happened.

5. It’s illegal.

Drinking and driving is against the law in all 50 states, punishable by fines and jail time. Until 1985, it was even a capital offense in some U.S. states. This means that it is illegal, no matter what your reasons are for doing it or if you are driving after having one drink or 15 shots of Jagermeister.

6. You could hurt yourself.

If you’ve been drinking and driving it is also possible that you could get into a car accident. Even if you don’t get into a fatal car accident, physical injuries can still happen. You may not think that something as small as a scratch or scrape is serious, but it could always end up in an infection or even have to have surgery to fix!

7. You could hurt other people too.

You could hurt yourself by drinking and driving, but that’s not the only way that it could happen. There are millions of people around the United States who die in traffic crashes every year due to drunk driving and the numbers are only going higher every year. Even if you think that you are a responsible driver and haven’t had any alcohol or drugs in the last few hours, it doesn’t matter. If you are impaired due to whatever reason, whether it be alcohol, drugs or even an emotional feeling of sadness, you can still get into an accident that can be fatal to other drivers around you.

Summary:

Drinking and driving is a very dangerous thing to do. You could get hurt or even cause someone else to get hurt if you don’t drive sober. If you have been drinking, or if you are incapable of driving and you are the only one inside the car, the person who drove before you might just be in danger and they might not be able to stop their car in time before they hit another car, causing serious injuries to themselves or others. Even if it is just a few drinks or shots of some mixed alcohol, it could still cause an accident according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.