The Harsh Reality of Driving Drunk

By Asia Daggs
Web Content Director

On March 10, 2015, the harsh reality of drunk driving hit me hard by taking my grandmother away from my family and then again on March 19, 2017, when a childhood friend was taken entirely too soon.

My grandmother was hit by a drunk driver as she was crossing the street in broad daylight. She owned an antique shop on the corner of that street and made that same walk every single day. She was a wife, a mother to six and a grandmother to 14 children; but since another human being decided to drink and drive, her life was ended unexpectedly. My dear childhood friend was home from college, riding in the car with three other friends as they were hit by a drunk driver. She was 19-years-old and a freshman at Navarro College with a bright, full life ahead of her. However, once again since another person decided to drink and drive, she was taken from our lives.

There are no words for the pain you feel after losing a loved one and it never leaves; no matter how hard you try to come to terms with it. There is no difference in the amount of pain that death can cause, but it seems like it hurts so much worse when the death is unexpected. When it’s a painful, brutal death. I know this isn’t worded lightheartedly, but there is no other way to explain the ugly truth.

I know we are at a time in life where everything is a big party, but please be smart. Driving while you are under the influence puts you and everyone else’s lives at risk. When you decide to get in the driver’s seat, you are holding not just you and your friends, but everyone else’s lives on the road in your hands. Keep that in mind. Every two minutes, another person is injured in a drunk driving related crash. How sad is that? It honestly does not even completely register with me. That’s a family losing a loved one every two minutes. That is mothers losing their babies every two minutes. Someone being taken from this world due to someone else’s bad choice.

There are many organizations that work endlessly to bring an end to drunk driving. Please feel encouraged to visit these sites or even donate your time to work towards putting a stop to drunk driving.

• Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
  • When my mother was going to court for my grandmother, MADD had representatives present for emotional support and as a resource. That is dedication and nothing but love.
• Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD)
  • This is the nation’s largest peer-organization! They have over 350,000 active student members with chapters in middle schools, high schools, and colleges. Amazing.
• International Drunk Driving Prevention Association (IDDPA)
  • This organization helps fight against drunk driving on an international scale. Check them out.

You can watch the commercial by MADD below to see the lasting effects of driving drunk.

I know causing a wreck isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when putting the key in the ignition. However, I am begging you to make it the second. Remember to be responsible. Someone’s loved one is out on those same roads. Your loved ones are out on those same roads. Drink responsibly.

Featured illustration by Ana Belen Cobos.

In Loving Memory of Rebecca Martinez Delgado and Cayla Simple.