Why would you drive drunk? You have to get somewhere? Okay, call a cab. Download the Uber app. Get a hold of a friend. Take a bus. Walk. Other options exist, none of which kill 27 people a day.

Drunk Driving is the last thing you should do. Saying you’re a good drunk driver is like saying you’re good at potentially killing someone. Still feel you need some convincing? Read on and learn about the grueling statistics regarding drunk driving and about what drinking physically does to a driver of a vehicle.

A FATAL DECISION

Cold hard facts speak volumes where anecdotes and advice sometimes cannot. The following information is absolutely designed to scare you. Over 30,000 people have died as a result of drunk driving accidents in the last 3 years. An estimated 6,000 of these victims were children under 15. Over one person per hour DIES because of this epidemic. Over a million people have been injured due to drunk driving since 2014. One in three people will be involved in a drunk driving accident in their lifetime. One-third of these deaths and/or injuries are to the non-drunk person(s). Let’s put this all together:

Approximately 1,000 drunk driving accidents occur each day. Nearly 30 people die in these accidents, and over 300 of them aren’t even drunk. There is a 33% chance you will be injured in a drunk driving accident…even if you’ve never touched a drop. Please do not become a statistic.

NOT JUST DEADLY, ALSO ILLEGAL

As if bodily harm isn’t enough deterrence, consider the fact that nearly 1.5 million arrests of drunk drivers are made annually. The annual cost of this to the taxpayers exceeds $130 billion. Each year, more sobriety checkpoints are set up across the country, reducing the amount of drunk drivers by nearly 10%. Also, the number of arrests made increases with more checkpoints.

WHAT REALLY HAPPENS WHEN YOU DRINK AND DRIVE

‘One drink’ is defined as 12 oz. beer, or 5 oz. wine, or 1.5 oz. liquor. After just two drinks, judgement loss begins, a decline in visual function occurs, and the capacity for multitasking starts to fade. After three drinks, one experiences a lack of coordination, difficulty steering a vehicle, and much less alertness. After four drinks, concentration becomes difficult, there is reduced signal interpretation, (for example, stop signs and red lights are harder to see), and perception of speed is thrown off. After five drinks, steering is severely disabled, and braking becomes erratic. After 6 or more drinks, physical control is all but impossible, attention to driving becomes nil, and visual/auditory processing is quite impaired. Whether you’ve had one, two or twelve, do not drive a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or any other illicit substance.

HOW WE CAN PREVENT DRUNK DRIVING

Designate a sober driver. Do not let your loved ones drive drunk. If you have to get somewhere, call a taxi. Surely the fare is worth your (and others’) health. Also, on a non-personal level, the active enforcement of blood alcohol content laws, along with sobriety checkpoints and requiring mandatory alcohol abuse classes for DUI/DWI offenders, all are helping combat this problem. Just remember, if and when you decide to drive drunk, that you are deciding to put multiple lives at risk.

DRUNK DRIVING RESOURCES

• What Works: Strategies to Reduce or Prevent Drunk Driving
• Drunk Driving: How You Can Help
• December Is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month
• Impaired Driving
• Lowey Highlights Importance of Preventing Drunk Driving During the Holiday Season
• Impaired Driving in Maryland (PDF)
• Dangers of Drinking (PDF)
• Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over
• Drunk Driving: Over the Limit, Under Arrest (PDF)
• Impaired Driving
• Alcohol Dangers Go Beyond Drunk Driving
• Dangers of Teen Drinking
• DMV Warns About the Dangers, Penalties of Drinking and Driving and Underage Drinking
• Prevent Yourself From Getting a DUI
• NHTSA Uses “the Force” to Stop Drunk Driving
• How Dangerous Are Drinking Drivers? (PDF)
• Driving Under the Influence
• Driving Home DUI Dangers
• College Drinking (PDF)
• Preventing Drunk Driving
• Drunk Driving Prevention and Awareness
• Alcohol Crash Facts