Drunk Driving (DUI)
We have all seen ads on TV depicting how bad drunk driving is and that it kills innocent people. Most DMV drivers license tests and or required reading and videos cover drunk driving to some degree. We even see badly crashed vehicles parked out front of local area high schools during prom week to warn students and others about the tragic consequences of drunk driving. We also hear about the financial ramifications of drunk driving – loss of license for a year on average, insurance premiums increases of up to 400% or even more in some cases, attorneys fees, court costs and fines, etc… Yet, many people still drive drunk and the numbers are still increasing every year.
What will it take to convince people that its not worth taking the chance. Is it the fact that when someone is drunk they are not of full mental acuity to make the proper decision on whether or not to drive. Well, that is obvious and that is why it is against the law to drive drunk in every state in the U.S. One problem is that too many people drive drunk and get away with it. There are thousands of rich people and their kids that drive drunk, don’t care and then just have their high power attorney get it dropped on some stupid technicality. Its true, only in America can you be rich, drive drunk, crash into a barrier in Washington DC, be observed as being plastered by the police and then be driven home without ever being charged with DUI or some other form of drunk driving (just look this one up on Google under the last name Kennedy).
You don’t even have to be a Kennedy. You could be a rich young girl named Paris Hilton, and drive drunk and get away with it. I wonder why the district attorney in charge of these cases decides based on their political future or is it their concern for society – not. Recently in Charlotte, NC it was released in the local newspaper that entirely too many criminals (that’s right, if you get charged with drunk driving you are a criminal) charged with DUI have their case dropped. As much as 30 – 50% of the time this happens. The article went on to state that laws need to be toughened up and something needs to be done about it. Less than a day later another innocent victim in Charlotte was killed by another drunk driver. This time it was an illegal immigrant from Mexico that as it turns out has already been deported several times for the same thing.
Regardless if its rich people with last names like Kennedy or Hilton, illegal immigrants that should be denied entrance into the U.S., or whomever, drunk driving in any form is unacceptable. Telling people this doesn’t seem to make much of a difference, but what I’ve found to be very successful is shocking the hell out of them (just see Quitting smoking 101, one of the most linked to articles on the internet). Do not read further if you do not want to see some scary and shocking results of drunk driving.
See, the saddest thing is that not everyone dies from a drunk driving accident. That may sound sadistic, but it is true. Some things are worse than death.
It all starts with a little innocent drinking, which leads to more drinking and a relaxation of your ability to be able to judge when you are impaired or not fully capable to make decisions let alone drive.
Then you make the decision to drive drunk and get pulled over by a police officer whom does a routine series of tests on you including a breathalyzer test (which may be done at the booking station). If this happens that is great as it removes you from the road before you hurt or kill someone. Unfortunately the police only catch a small percentage of the drunk drivers out there.
This is what really happens:
The above accident was a fatal accident caused by – you guessed it – a drunk driver. Now, as I said earlier, there are things worse than death that can result from these crashes. Take the story of Jacqueline Saburido. Early on Sunday morning, September 18, 1999, Jacqueline Saburido, 20, and four friends were on their way home from a birthday party. Reggie Stephey, an 18-year-old star football player, was on his way home from drinking beer with some buddies. On a dark road on the outskirts of Austin, Texas, Reggie’s SUV veered into the Oldsmobile carrying Jacqui and the others. Two passengers in the car were killed at the scene and two were rescued. Within minutes, the car caught fire. Jacqui was pinned in the front seat on the passenger side. She was burned over 60% of her body; no one thought she could survive. But Jacqui lived. Her hands were so badly burned that her fingers had to be amputated. She lost her hair, her ears, her nose, her left eyelid and much of her vision. She has had more than 50 operations since the crash and has many more to go.
This is what she looked like before the accident.
This is Jacqui after.
In June 2001 Reggie Stephey was convicted of two counts of intoxication manslaughter for the deaths of Jacqui’s two friends. He was sentenced to seven years in prison and fined $20,000. I wonder how much of this time he is or really did serve. He ruined that beautiful girls life.
Here is a more recent picture of Jacqui and her father in 2003.
To help Jacqui, whom did not have medical insurance and is facing staggering medical costs and bills, please visit http://www.helpjacqui.com/home.htm.
Hopefully this will help you think twice about drunk driving and taking the wheel when you shouldn’t. Drunk driving kills and sometimes it doesn’t, ruining families and lives forever. No one should be let go or have a drunk driving charge dropped or reduced because they are wealthy, have great lawyers or there was some sort of technicality. Try and explain that technicality to Jacqui. I will pray for Jacqui and hope you will to. Please do what ever you can to stop drunk driving. This article is provided by MDWholesale headlight cleaner and headlight restoration - your driving safety is our top concern.
