by Pasquale Bottiglieri

Created on: April 28, 2010   Last Updated: April 29, 2010

Effective ways to stop someone from drinking and driving.

 I understand this question to be a request for effective response in a situation in which I or anyone is confronted by a potential or actual drunk driver.

 In order to present a meaningful answer,  I should first point out that there are no generally acceptable rules for intervention at this level other than to state that any person, a bartender, a party giver, a sober guest, an uninvolved passer bye or a driver in the next lane, literally anyone in the presence of a person impaired by alcohol who is attempting to or actually driving a motor vehicle, has a moral obligation to do something about it. In fact, a person supplying alcohol to an obviously intoxicated individual subsequently involved in an accident can be held legally responsible.

One of the most effective paths to a full understanding of the critical nature of this discussion and why there is a moral obligation to in some way intervene is, in my opinion, experience with first response to auto accidents involving alcohol. For those who do not have the time or inclination to serve with a volunteer ambulance service, I suggest interviewing those who do. I personally served as an EMT first responder with a volunteer ambulance group. As a part of that training, I worked with experienced trauma nurses and doctors in dealing with a stream of accident related injuries and deaths. Although I quickly discovered that I do not personally have the necessary bent to do that type of work on a daily basis, I did acquire a very deep perspective on the question of drinking and driving.

 We live in a culture which not only permits but in fact encourages the use of alcohol as an element of social interaction. There is nothing intrinsically evil in this. There is, however, something very wrong with the fact that the nationwide educational component related to the risks associated with alcohol use is not in balance with the advertising related to the marketing of alcohol products.

 Drinking is a rite of passage in the minds of a very high percentage of the young people entering the community of licensed drivers. Yet it is only after the fact that many become aware of the life threatening danger involved in driving while impaired. An analysis of reaction times and eye hand coordination required to successfully avoid the countless unforgiving and unpredictable accident producing situations which occur every hour of every day will quickly

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