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Why NOT to Drive Under the Influence |
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Tuesday, 24 July 2007 |
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Sin City. The gambling capital of the world, and the name bandied about by millions of men, women and children when discussing where they want to spend their vacation. The potential to make a fortune on a roll of the dice draws people from all over the world to Las Vegas’s city streets in search of a good time. It is most unfortunate that not all of these people are possessed of a great deal of common sense.
Almost any establishment with the city’s borders is going to serve alcohol to its patrons in an attempt to enrich their experience. They do not, however, all provide said patrons with a means to return to their homes or motels afterwards. As a result, every night there are hundreds of individuals who set down their glasses, pick up their keys and step into their cars.The hazards of driving while under the influence are not unknown to drivers. Lectures on the potential dangers of driving after having consumed alcohol are taught from elementary school on. Alcohol slows down an individual’s response times, causing them to be more likely to find themselves responsible for an accident which results in harm to the vehicle and person of another driver. In a city where traffic is generally bumper to bumper and people drive like maniacs this can be a certain recipe for disaster. Think for a moment on the quickly rising costs of healthcare and auto repair. Chances are no one would take a baseball bat to their own car. Why would they willingly take it onto the streets when there was an increased chance that it would find itself at the bottom of a pile of twisted scrap metal. In addition to the possible financial repercussions and loss of life, which should not be decreased by any means, ponder for a moment on the consequences of an individual finding themselves miles from home with no money, no car and no driver’s license. These are the repercussions faced by almost all of the individuals who go to Las Vegas, spend a night indulging in gambling and alcohol, then decide to drive themselves home. After being stopped by the police their license is suspended, their car is impounded and they must decide which of their relatives they are then going to appeal to in an attempt to find their way home. After returning home they must contact an attorney, who will appear with them in a court of law, at which point it will be determined that they must spend the next six years of their life looking at the back of a prison cell. While these consequences are not universal, and are dependent solely on an individual’s circumstances, almost every case of driving under the influence results in some sort of license suspension, fine and jail time. It just isn’t worth it. |
