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.

http://www.stopdrinkingadvice.org/guide/

When actor Jake Gyllenhaal was sixteen, his parents allowed actor and professional race car driver Paul Newman to take him out on the track for a driving lesson he’d never forget. While the boy sat transfixed in his seat Newman roared the NASCAR they were riding in straight at a wall only to steer clear of it at the last second with the admonition, “never do that.”

Most parents of teenagers who are old enough to get their driver’s licenses don’t have a professional race car driver who can make an impression on their kids. But the good news is that as parents there are many things you can teach your child that will have the same effect.

No. 1: Don’t push kids who are not ready.
Most teenagers can’t wait to get behind the wheel for the first time because they know that driving will give them new freedoms. But if your child resists getting a license at 16, let him know that he can wait until he feels he is ready. And if you feel your child should wait until 17 to drive, when he will be more responsible, don’t let your child pressure you into letting him drive just because other kids drive at 16.

No. 2: Set a positive tone.
 When your teen is ready to drive, let him know that you think he will be a great driver. At the same time, grant privileges slowly so you can add more as your son or daughter demonstrates they are ready for them instead of having to take privileges away when your trust is violated. Teenagers love to test their parents and in fact it is their job to do so. It is the parents’ job to set clear rules and to hold teenagers responsible when they are violated. Consider rewarding your teen if he or she is accident-free for a certain period of time and remove restrictions when you find they are no longer necessary.

No. 3: Sign a Contract.
The best way to lay out the rules you expect your new driver to follow is to put them in a contract you both will sign. The contract should cover such things as the number of friends who can be in the car with the new driver (most likely one), what time the driver must be home on school nights and weekends, responsibilities for gas, insurance and car maintenance and the mandatory use of seat belts for all passengers.

No. 4: Don’t give him an excuse to drive drunk.
Even though you have made it absolutely clear that there is to be no drinking and driving, you should let your teen know that you will pick him or her up with no questions asked wherever they are if they are drunk or the driver who took them somewhere is incapable of driving. Teens who are afraid their parents will “kill them” are more likely to take the risk of driving drunk or get in the car of an impaired person because they are afraid of getting in trouble.

No. 5: Be a good role model.
Make certain that your driving habits don’t conflict with any of the rules you have set for your teenage driver. Don’t drive if you have had a few drinks and keep your temper in check in situations that could lead to road rage. Your teenager is paying as much attention to what you do as what you tell him to do.

http://www.stopdrinkingadvice.org/guide/

Drinking and driving doesn’t go well along and it can not only prove to be fatal for the other guy but also the driver and the passengers of the car itself. For sure one should desist from intake of alcohol during driving as there is a remarkably augmented risk of car accidents, damage to property and injury to people.

Astonishing facts about drinking and driving

1. It is hard to believe but the fact is that about 20% of the traffic sufferers all over the world take place due to drunk driving. We all should act sensibly and like responsible citizens, should understand the ill effects of drunk driving and refrain from doing it.
2. Looking carefully at the statistics it is revealed that half of the offenders caught were not under the influence of alcohol but other banned substances like drugs.

There are certain measures that can be implemented to curb drunk driving.

Check measures

1. Value and morals of a person plays a very important role in this regard! So parents should make that extra effort in telling and warning their children against drunk driving and show their own daily lives to their children by example and imbibe in them the importance of behaving as a responsible citizen. And, they should do nothing to bring any harm or any injury to people including something as irresponsible as drunk driving.
2. Police should perform arbitrary checks on drunk drivers, especially at night to catch the offenders and reduce the menace. Most efficient way is a breath analyzer test which is the most common test used to catch the offenders DUI or Drinking under the Influence of Intoxicants that may cause problems in the present and in the future.
3. Law against drunk drivers should be stringent and regular checks for drunk drivers on the road can be carried out by the law. Reprobates should be sternly punished in the form of levying heavy fines and penalties. Licenses of regular offenders should be suspended or terminated. Psychoanalysis programs should be conducted for those people who can’t kiss the habit goodbye. Every state should provide ample information on the bad effects of DUI at the time of the driver’s exams.
4. With new technology in, many cars will have sensors installed in them like alarm systems in case the driver inside falls asleep. They will soon be fitted with anti collision devices so that the car brakes automatically if it is about to crash with another object in the front or the back.

Unfortunately if you are detained for DUI, then hiring a DUI lawyer proves to be the best decision. Driving under the influence can have serious consequences on you if you are involved in a car accident. The offender may face penalties like jail or prison, penalties or fines, vehicle impoundment, etc. The DUI lawyer is accustomed with the ins and outs and procedures involved with DUI charges and are your best bet if you find yourself in such a predicament.

So just take into account your actions and act as a responsible citizen that can actually set an example to other people as well. Make sure it is not you who would unnecessarily force others to drink at your parties. Prevention is always better than cure. Hence, drinking and driving should not go jointly.

http://www.stopdrinkingadvice.org/guide/

Every single injury and death caused by drunk driving is totally preventable. Unfortunately, over twenty percent of all traffic fatalities in the United State each year are caused by drunk drivers. 1 Thus, drunk driving remains a serious national problem that tragically affects thousands of victims annually.

Don’t drink and drive and don’t ride with anyone who has too much to drink. Remember, it is usually themselves and their passengers who are harmed by drunk drivers. The risk of collision for high Blood Alcohol Content drivers is several hundred times higher than for a non-drinking driver. 

If you haven’t had anything to drink, volunteer to be a designated driver. And never condone or approve of excessive alcohol consumption. Intoxicated behavior is potentially dangerous and never amusing. Don’t ever let your friends drive drunk. Take their keys, have them stay the night, have them ride home with someone else, call a cab, or do whatever else is necessary – but don’t let them drive!

Create a setting conducive to easy, comfortable socializing: soft, gentle music; low levels of noise; comfortable seating. This encourages conversation and social interaction rather than heavy drinking.

Serve food before beginning to serve drinks. This de-emphasizes the importance of alcohol and also sends the message that intoxication is not desirable.

Have a responsible bartender. If you plan to ask a friend or relative to act as bartender, make sure that person is not a drink pusher who encourages excessive consumption.

Don’t have an "open bar." A responsible person needs to supervise consumption to ensure that no one drinks too much. You have both a moral and a legal responsibility to make sure that none of your guests drink too much.

Pace the drinks. Serve drinks at regular reasonable intervals. A drink-an-hour schedule is a good guide.

Push snacks. Make sure that people are eating.

Be sure to offer a diversity of attractive non-alcohol drinks.

Respect anyone’s choice not to drink. Remember that about one-third of American adults choose not to drink and that a guest’s reason for not drinking is the business of the guest only, not of the host. Never put anyone on the defense for not drinking.

End your gathering properly. Decide when you want the party to end and stop serving drinks well before that time. Then begin serving coffee along with substantial snacks. This provides essential non-drinking time before your guests leave.

Protect others and yourself by never driving if you think, or anyone else thinks, that you might have had too much to drink. It’s always best to use a designated driver.

Here’s a commercial ad from Mark “Chopper” Read on Drink Driving.

I used to be a drunk driver, and yes, I drank and drove even after my licence was suspended for a DUI. The reason I drove drunk so many times was because it was fun. When a person is drunk they do not have the ability to make a decision based on anything other than "will this be fun or not?" The reason I quit drinking was because I knew I could not stop myself from driving drunk. I gave up my love and passion for alcohol to make the roads safer because I was terrified I was going to kill someone. I don’t miss the alcohol at all, and I don’t miss the feeling every morning waking up thinking I could have killed someone the night before.

Killing someone whether you intend to or not is an antisocial act, drinking is antisocial behavior (even if you are only a so-called ‘social drinker’), so killing people with your car because you are drunk is very antisocial (it’s almost like strapping a bomb to your chest and detonating it in a public place).

Think people who are caught drinking and driving should be thrown in jail until they die, because there is no other way to stop them. I was fortunate to be able to see how my behavior was affecting society and to be able to make the decision to stop (and follow through with it). I have been sober almost a year and the most terrifying thing in my life is driving home from work every night at midnight and being so scared that the person driving toward me in the other lane is hammered that I practically pull over and stop.

 - Charity Haggett