Summer Party + Driving = No.
The summer has finally arrived and all across the country, people are breaking out the outdoor kitchens and gearing up their cars to road trip to festivals and summer parties. Piling the camping gear in the back and hitting the road with friends is probably the most popular idea among students, but even carefree students who want to travel to different parties and events need to plan properly ahead.
Every time you go on a trip with your friends, you need to draw straws and choose a designated driver. That driver for that particular day needs to avoid touching any alcohol – period – for their entire driving shift. If you choose to switch out drivers, the person taking over the driving should also not have had a drop of alcohol before taking the wheel. Why? Distractions kill. Nobody wants to take the chance of having an injury accident in a car, especially when they’re not the only person in the car. The laws surrounding impaired driving are severe, with severe penalties for those who break the rules and don’t try to follow them in the first place. There’s a drink-drive limit, with some states allowing a certain amount of alcohol units to be consumed. The thing is, why would you want to risk it? Just because you had one cocktail and managed to concentrate and drive last year, doesn’t mean you can this year.
Being on the road, your responsibility is not just to you and the other people you’re driving to the latest summer party. You’re responsible for every other person in every other vehicle on the road. Your actions could change someone else’s future as well as your own when you drive. You could lose your car – and when you want it for festivals and road trips, this is not ideal. Deciding to drink and drive can also mean that you make your insurance invalid. If you do that, you would be exposed to charges if you had an accident. There are some things that you can do so that you can have a fun, exciting summer without the worry of driving impaired:
- Plan ahead by checking out the park and ride options in the area you’re travelling to. While you’re there, check out how late the local buses run.
- Car share if you’re looking to save money. There are plenty of services like this that offer a car sharing system to get to the party or festival. Then just call a taxi home!
- Book yourself into a hotel for the time you’re away. This way, no one has to panic about being impaired on the road, you get a comfortable time away and you save some cash on gas!
There’s nothing wrong with heading out on vacation and enjoying yourself. There is, however, everything wrong with putting yourself and others at risk. Driving safely is important, and the sooner you plan for it, the safer you will be. Take the time to enjoy yourself this summer and remember the rules of the road.