Every 15 Minutes... Someone dies or is seriously injured in an alcohol related crash. That's 4 people an hour, 96 people a day, and 35040 a year, 35040 to many. Car accidents are the leading cause of death among teens. The worst part is that this is all preventable, and happens all because of someone making one stupid decision, to drive under the influence or drugs or alcohol, or to drive while distracted. All it would have took to prevent all it, was the decision to not drive drunk, or not to pick up the cellphone while driving.
You may think you are okay to drive after just a couple drinks, or that you are paying enough attention to the road because you look up every few characters from your text message. Most likely, you are more messed up than you think, and are way over the legal limit without even knowing it. And it takes one second for a car traveling at just 30 mph to travel 44 feet, and you never know what might come up in that 44 foot distance. You might reach at intersection and not see another car coming, someone might try to cross the street, or another car might stop. One second everyone seems to be having a good time, and in less than the time it takes to blink, lives are be changed forever.
Is getting home after a party so your parents don't find out, or one text message worth someone's life, and your own life? We all have dreams of some kind, and I know for a fact that none of your dreams are to die at such a young age, spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair, or to spend it in prison. Everyone involved will be affected by that one bad decision everyday. Families and friends will have to live without their loved ones. Those surviving through the crash will have to live with the memory for the rest of their lives, and live with new everyday challenges, even if they weren't severely injured. And as for the person who made the decision to drive drunk or text and drive.... they could spend anywhere from 15 years to life in prison, depending on what the court decides. Even if they are on the lower end with their sentencing, they will need to live with what they've done to their victims for the rest of their lives.
This video shows what happens when someone makes one bad decision to drive while under the influence. The same thing can happen if someone drives while texting. And they will find out if you'd been texting while driving if you are involved in an accident. Phone records can easily be obtained for your cellphone provider when needed. This is truly a sad video to watch, and while this video is only a reenactment, this happens everyday in real life. Warning: While this is a fake video, it depicts real life situations. Many will find this video to be disturbing. This video is very graphic, so if you are extremely squeamish I wouldn't recommend watching this video. Viewer discretion is advised.
Don't let this happen to you... Just don't drive while under the influence of alcohol, even if you think you are okay to drive, and don't text and drive. That text message or phone call can wait until you get where you're going. And while it's not the best choice to start with to go to a party, or anywhere else, and get drunk to start with, nobody is perfect, everyone wants to have a good time once in awhile. But please, if you do choose to drink don't drive anywhere, and don't get into the car with someone who's been drinking. Don't even let them drive drunk. Stay at the person's house if you can (you'll still need to explain it to your parents, but what they'll do is better than the consequences of this...), or call a friend or even a parent to come pick you up if you get into that situation.
Of course your parents will be mad that you went to a party and drank, and you more than likely will get in big trouble at home. You might lose your phone, computer, and your car. You might not be allowed to go anywhere for a really long time, and you're parents will be disappointed, but while they might not show it right away, they'd be happy you told them instead of trying to take matters into your own hands and drive home yourself, or with someone else who'd been drinking. And surely losing your computer for a while is much better than spending time in jail, or getting killed in a car wreck. Your parents' disappointment will fade over time, they'll be able to see you graduate, go to college, get married, and follow your dreams. Any parent would rather have their kids tell them they went against their rules rather than having than to go through this.
We all make mistakes, and bad choices. But a bad choice should never lead to tragedy. Simply choosing to call your parents, or another friend, or not even going to the party to start with can prevent this all from happening. Ignore that text message while you're driving, they'll understand. It's not worth the consequences. Even if you've done this before, if you're reading this, it's not too late to stop, and start making better choices. You never know when that split second will come when something goes terribly wrong. Keep yourself, your friends, and everyone else safe. Make good choices, and always pay full attention to what's going on on the road. Stay safe out there... Don't let a preventable tragedy ruin your dreams.
Don't let this happen to you... Just don't drive while under the influence of alcohol, even if you think you are okay to drive, and don't text and drive. That text message or phone call can wait until you get where you're going. And while it's not the best choice to start with to go to a party, or anywhere else, and get drunk to start with, nobody is perfect, everyone wants to have a good time once in awhile. But please, if you do choose to drink don't drive anywhere, and don't get into the car with someone who's been drinking. Don't even let them drive drunk. Stay at the person's house if you can (you'll still need to explain it to your parents, but what they'll do is better than the consequences of this...), or call a friend or even a parent to come pick you up if you get into that situation.
Of course your parents will be mad that you went to a party and drank, and you more than likely will get in big trouble at home. You might lose your phone, computer, and your car. You might not be allowed to go anywhere for a really long time, and you're parents will be disappointed, but while they might not show it right away, they'd be happy you told them instead of trying to take matters into your own hands and drive home yourself, or with someone else who'd been drinking. And surely losing your computer for a while is much better than spending time in jail, or getting killed in a car wreck. Your parents' disappointment will fade over time, they'll be able to see you graduate, go to college, get married, and follow your dreams. Any parent would rather have their kids tell them they went against their rules rather than having than to go through this.
We all make mistakes, and bad choices. But a bad choice should never lead to tragedy. Simply choosing to call your parents, or another friend, or not even going to the party to start with can prevent this all from happening. Ignore that text message while you're driving, they'll understand. It's not worth the consequences. Even if you've done this before, if you're reading this, it's not too late to stop, and start making better choices. You never know when that split second will come when something goes terribly wrong. Keep yourself, your friends, and everyone else safe. Make good choices, and always pay full attention to what's going on on the road. Stay safe out there... Don't let a preventable tragedy ruin your dreams.
Disclaimer: I do not endorse, recommend, or support underage drinking or drug use. This post is not meant to say it's okay to go to drink when you are under the age of 21, but to make the right choice if you drank regardless of your age. Good people make bad decisions that lead to a lifetime of consequences.
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