Realizing the bottom line on the severity of drunken driving

Reality Check 2010 on Thursday night was a great success. This has been an event we try to have every year. For those who didn’t make it, here’s a little background:  You attend a mock party and you observe some individuals drinking.

When a group of them leave, they are involved in a crash. You hear the call to 9-1-1, then everyone moves to the scene of the collision where vehicles are crashed and bodies are in the roadway. From that point you can see law enforcement and firefighters respond to the area exactly as we would for an injury crash. This includes the funeral home coming to pick up one of the deceased victims.

Instead of hearing about a crash where someone was injured or killed, people actually see what happens and hopefully grasp the severity of the situation. Alcohol-related crashes are something people talk about constantly but, for whatever reason, don’t realize how serious they are. If they did, such crashes would not be the problem they are now.

In 2008, Oklahoma had 5,201 alcohol-related crashes.

There were 751 fatalities from crashes, of which 266 of those were alcohol related (35 percent).  Oklahoma Satute 47 11-902 says the legal blood alcohol content limit for Driving Under the Influence is 0.08 percent if you are 21 or older.

However, there are a lot more to DUIs than just the BAC. The bottom line is that you are DUI if you cannot safely operate a motor vehicle. Just because you are under the 0.08 limit does not mean you can safely operate a motor vehicle.

People who watch the clock and their number of drinks and attempt to guess their BAC before driving are playing a dangerous game that can get them or someone else injured or killed. Impairment starts with the first drink and ends when the body has metabolized and disposed of 100 percent of the alcohol. The time frame is different for every person and situation.

For those of you who are 21 and don’t mind sharing your liquor with your underage friends, keep in mind that providing any alcoholic beverage to an underage individual is a felony in Oklahoma, according to O.S. 37 538F.

For those who choose to drink over Spring Break — don’t drive.