Every hour at least one person is killed from drunk driving. Do you still think you’re sober enough to put your keys in the ignition and drive after you are intoxicated? Maybe that statistic changed your perception, maybe it didn’t but that doesn’t change the fact forty percent of traffic accidents are caused by drunk driving. There are so many ways to prevent these deaths and in so many cases we choose to ignore them.

One of the causes to drink and drive is that people don’t think they are at risk or putting others at risk when they get behind the wheel while intoxicated. However you don’t have to be legally drunk for your driving abilities to be affected. For a male of one-hundred and eighty pounds it can take only four drinks to become impaired while driving and sight and reaction can decrease. If everyone had a designated driver to drive for those who are drinking this cause of drunk driving may not be a cause at all.

Also the average cost of a DUI conviction in Illinois is about $14,660. This is a considerably high price but for the amount of lives lost a year this is not a bad thing. However the price could be even higher to reduce the amount people that are willing to¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬. Australia DUI convictions can warrant a fine of as much as $135,000. The raise in fines could possibly prevent drinking and driving even more. The question remains though, why do people risk $14,660 when they get behind the wheel while intoxicated? Most think they won’t get caught, but law enforcement is getting even more serious every year and more people are caught drinking and driving than killed from it, which is a law enforcement goal.

There is one simple solution to stop drinking and driving and that is having a designated driver that has at least five years of driving experience. This isn’t an excuse to drink and drive and all you need is a sober driver. So before you take that first drop of alcohol, think, what’s your excuse?