Drunk Driving

Despite the great work that organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, "MADD," have been doing for 33 years, and the ubiquitous infomercials reminding people who intend to drink while out to name a designated driver among their group, party goers are still getting behind the wheel while drunk.

A chilling example of what can happen when someone drives under the influence played out across the national stage recently when a 22 year old named Matthew Cordle confessed in a YouTube video that he had killed a man while driving drunk. In the video, Cordle takes full responsibility for his fateful decision to drive that night, and begs others not to make the same excuses for that bad decision as he did…"it's not that far"..."I didn't didn't drink that much"..."I've done it before." The video went viral, eventually leading to his arrest for vehicular homicide.

There are other potential consequences to driving drunk, which although they may not be life-threatening, are still serious. You can be charged with driving under the influence, which can result in suspension of your driver's license and a fine. Repeat offenders may lose their driver's license, go to jail and/or be required to attend a rehabilitation program. Finally, being involved in more car accidents can mean being subject to higher auto insurance rates.

MADD estimates that since they began their campaign to promote public awareness of and stricter laws regarding driving under the influence, drunk driving has in fact been cut in half. But as Matthew Cordle's video so clearly demonstrates, half way still leaves a long way to go.