Drinking While Driving
You find cars everywhere in a big city. There are millions of drivers around the world, in which a good portion of those people are teens. However, not all teens are aware of what could go wrong while driving. What should they know? When is it appropriate to get in the car? How can you contribute to a safe environment on the road? Is the driving environment safe?
These seem like a lot of questions to think about, but really, these are only a few basic questions every driver should be able to answer. Everyone should contribute to a safe driving environment, though unfortunately, many people are making it a potential danger to others.
To begin, one of the main issues is drinking and driving. Many teens know this is not good, though they do not make smart choices. Many teens choose to drink alcohol, even though it is illegal. Why? Well, they might think it's cool, or they may be doing because a friend is. Whatever the reason, drinking is bad regardless, and it isn't even legal for teens to drink. Yet they still drink. Not only this, they get into the car and begin to drive. But why is this such a bad thing? Here is a bit of background information. When someone is drunk, they are considered high. In short, their brain's not functioning properly and they make terrible decisions. This messes their body up and they feel odd. It's as if something has taken over their body completely and they are incapable of making smart decisions.
That's because something has.
Imagine what would happen if someone who couldn't control their own actions got into the car? You're probably imagining a mess. But in fact, what would most likely happen is worse than a mess. Driving drunk is a serious issue. Furthermore, if someone drives drunk they could crash into something or someone. Worse case scenario is they crash into another car and harm an innocent being. Terrible things happen when people drink and drive.
The good news is, this is most definitely preventable.
We'll start off by saying, don't drink! It's illegal for teens to drink and it messes up your body, like drugs. However, if you are in a situation where someone is drunk, then that's different. First scenario: a drunk man wants to drive you home. What do you do? You should refuse. Instead, get help; you wouldn't want him driving in the first place because it can put you and others in danger. One thing you shouldn't do is offer to take him home. He could be a distraction in the car and you could crash. Second scenario: you are driving home and someone is drunk and driving. This scenario is a potential hazard to you. That drunk person could crash into your car and you, innocent, could get seriously injured or even die. The best thing to do is to make sure the road seems safe before driving. If you know the routes that others take, try to take a different one to prevent getting in the way of a drunk driver.
But when do most people drive while drunk? The answer is at parties. Many parties hosted by teens offer alcohol, so if you don't want to put yourself at risk, we highly suggest not to attend the party.
In the end, driving drunk is a terrible thing; it puts you, the drunk and other innocent people at risk of serious injury. Always be aware of the situation you are in. It's also good to trust your instinct. Never drive if you think someone is driving drunk, and avoid parties or places that you know drunk people will attend, or go there to get drunk. It's always better to be safe than sorry!
For more information on driving in your community, visit this ICBC link here.