subject: How To Prevent Drunk Driving Accidents: Protecting Yourself And Others [print this page] We all know someone who has been involved in a drunk driving accident. Maybe they were the victim, the one who was hit by an irresponsible drunk driver and who had to suffer the consequences. Or maybe they were the one who got behind the wheel after drinking and who got into a car accident due to their inebriated condition. Either way, its pretty certain that weve all known individuals who have been involved with auto accidents due to a drunk driver.
Is drunk driving preventable? Absolutely. There are ways you can help to ensure that alcohol-related auto accidents never happen again.
First, make sure that you never drive once youve had a drink. The law does state that you can have a bit of alcohol in your bloodstream while you are driving. This doesnt mean, however, that you should. If youve had a few beers while going to a barbecue at a friends house, or if youve had a few glasses of wine over a nice dinner, make sure you give your body long enough to get rid of the alcohol before getting behind the wheel. Make sure your mind is clear and that youre fully able to react to anything that comes at you. It is best to give yourself at least an hour between finishing your last drink and getting behind the wheel of a vehicle.
You should also make sure that none of your friends drive after they have been drinking. True friends will do everything in their power to help you avoid this serious situation. Its a sad truth that many drunk driving auto accidents happen to someone who has been drinking around other people. Those individuals could possibly have prevented an accident by keeping that person from driving a vehicle. If only those other people could have stopped the drunk driver from getting behind the wheel, chances are good that an accident could have been prevented.
If you know someone who is drinking and who is thinking about driving, and who is obviously in no shape to drive, dont let them. Get the keys from them and do whatever you have to in order to ensure that they do not get behind the wheel of a vehicle. Offer to drive them home, or to pay for their taxi. It is a very safe bet that they will thank you for your concern in the morning, and so will all the other drivers on the road.
